Angel's Child
by Ninja Mage
Summary: The souls are on her side. Fate is not... Vincent takes Seph's daughter to their world and Cloud is murdered. When she's to blame, can Kali find the power to defeat a new threat to the Planet? Note: Does not follow AC storyline! Please no flames for that!
1. Home at Last

****

Chapter 1

Home at Last

The brick mansion that was Saint Ai Orphanage in the city of Kauko was a quiet place, home to no less than a hundred children, all between the ages of only a few months to seventeen years. For many, this was the only home they had ever known. The elderly headmistress, Madame Sharmila, was a strict but generous woman. It was never even heard of that she would turn a child away under any circumstance. She loved all of the children like her own, and they loved her like their mothers. She spent thousands of dollars every year on toys, clothes, and new equipment for the younger children's playground and the elder's gym. All of the children got along well, and it seemed like the perfect place for a lonely child. Except, of course, one young woman that had lived here since she was a baby. Nobody ever crossed her path on a bad day. This was one of those days that made the young children scatter upon seeing her…

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hee-YA!" she yelled as her foot made contact. The bag snapped from its hook on the ceiling and fell to her feet.

"OUCH! Kali, take it easy! That hurt all the way over here! The bag's not going to get any deader!"

"Sorry, Madame Sharmila," Kali sighed. She picked up the punching bag, stood on a nearby stool, and put it back up. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't. What's wrong, hon?" Sharmila asked from the doorway. She looked Kali over.

She wore black bicycle shorts, a grey tank top, sneakers, a silver-studded black choker, and gloves with the fingers cut off. Her shoulder-length hair was mostly silver, but her bangs were black. Sharmila glanced at her eyes, but turned away as a chill slipped down her spine. The girl would have had beautiful grey eyes, except for her pupils; they were only unlike those of a cat's by the fact that they did not grow significantly larger or smaller with a change of light intensity.

"Nothing, Madame," Kali shrugged. "Only one of those days, I suppose."

"Why don't you go outside? It's a beautiful day," Sharmila coaxed.

"Madame? It's thirty degrees out today."

"Oh?" She approached the thermometer that was hanging from the window. "Well, so it is! My eyes must not be what they used to. Why don't you go into the sunroom and read, then? Let someone with less strength have a whack at the bags."

"Yes, ma'am," Kali bowed. She left the room and went to the lockers in the back. Kali exchanged her bike shorts for a pair of black cargo pants that were far too large. She buckled the studded belt, put on a clean tank top, switched her sneakers for her steel-toed boots, slid her bracers over her arms, and covered herself with a leather trench coat. She put her other clothes into a black messenger bag and turned to find Sharmila waiting at the door.

"Kali, I would like you to dine with me tonight."

"Pardon?"

"There is something that I was asked to give you on this day. Please, come to my wing a little before five o'clock tonight."

"Madame, I don't mean to be rude, but Devin and I-"

"Kali, I was hoping you would agree to this, so I asked you. Now I am _telling_ you. You are to join me for dinner at five o'clock this evening," Sharmila began to walk to her room. "And Kali? Happy fourteenth birthday, hon."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali sat under a window in the sunroom, the classic novel _Dracula_ lying open on her lap. She was sleeping lightly until a young man walked into the room. He took the book, marked its place, and put it on the table across the room. He then laid a hand on her shoulder and began to gently shake her when she didn't stir.

"Kali…" he whispered. "Kali, get up."

"Hmm," she sighed. She opened her eyes slowly. When she saw who woke her up, she closed them again and smiled. "Hey, Devin. 'Sup?"

"How ya doin'?" he grinned. He had long, brown hair that was always tied back in a ponytail, a small brown moustache, and a short beard. His eyes were deep blue. He wore a white, long-sleeve shirt and baggy black slacks. He was two years Kali's elder, as well as her best friend. Devin was currently one of the eldest orphans, always running around on errands and doing things for Sharmila. It was a rare occasion that he could sit with his friends like he did now. Presently, he sat down next to her, put his arm around her shoulder, and held her close to his chest. "I've been looking for you all day. I have something for you."

"What's that?" Kali whispered, eyes still shut.

"Open your eyes and you'll see," he laughed. When she did, there was a single red rose in front of her, a note tied to it that read:

Hope this is one sunny day that isn't grey.

Happy Birthday, Kali.

Love, Devin Alden.

"Thanks, Devin," she grinned. She snuggled closer to him. "You're the only one to say that to me today. Well, other then Sharmila, but that's her job, so she doesn't count."

"Glad I made you happy," he muttered, tucking back her hair and sliding the rose into it. "We're going to town to eat, right?"

"Oh, that. I'm really sorry. Sharmila wants me to dine with her tonight."

"What? Did you tell her we had plans?"

"I started to, but she cut me off. I'm really sorry, hon," Kali apologized. She looked up at him. "Tomorrow's still good, right?"

"You bet," he sighed. Devin closed his eyes. "I guess I know why she sent me to look for you."

"Huh?" Kali gasped. She sat up and stared at him. "What time is it?"

"Hmm," he glanced at his watch. "About ten 'til."

"Ten 'til what?"

"Five. Hey, what's wrong?" he exclaimed. Kali was getting up and shoving her book back into her bag.

"I'm supposed to be there by five. It's going to take me ten minutes just to get to her wing, then I have to find her dining room!"

"Hey, Kal!" Devin called. He grabbed her arm and pecked her on the cheek. "See ya later."

"Bye, Devin!" she yelled. She took off down the hall as fast as she could.

"Hey, watch it!"

"We're playing here!"

"Excuse me!"

"You almost stepped on my hand!"

"Sorry!"

And on went the cries that rang through the halls of Saint Ai Orphanage as Kali dashed through the hall towards the headmistress' wing.

"Madame Sharmila! Sorry I'm late!" Kali gasped, finally shoving open the door to the dining room. Sharmila stared at her.

"Fell asleep in the sunroom, again?" she asked. She pointed at the clock. 5:07.

"I apologize," Kali bowed. "It won't happen again."

"I'm sure it won't because you won't be here for much longer."

"What? Am I being adopted?" the girl gasped.

"Please, sit down and all will be explained. You can put your coat on the rack over there, by the way," Sharmila added. She and Kali sat at a large table, covered with food.

"Do you eat like this every night?" Kali asked, spooning a generous amount of potatoes onto her plate.

"This kind of food, yes. This much of it, no," she explained. "Now, about why I asked you here..."

"Please, I know it may sound weird, but I actually don't want to be adopted. I only have four more years until I go one my own, and I like my friends here."

"You mean Devin?" the headmistress smiled. Kali looked down at her food to hide the redness that was growing on her face. "Don't be embarrassed, dear. He is a fine young man."

"Yes, ma'am," Kali muttered.

"Now, who said anything about adoption?" Sharmila inquired. She continued without an answer. "I wanted to tell you that you're going home, darling. Your mother wants you back."

"My…" Kali dropped her fork at the words. She recovered quickly. "My mother?"

"Yes. When you were left here, your mother and a friend of hers brought a letter with you. They told me that this letter was not to be opened until your fourteenth birthday. Upon your fifteenth, you are to join her on the mountain Hotaka outside the city of Miki."

"But… Why did she bring me here? If I was going to live with her anyway, why did she abandon me?"

"I don't know the answers, my dear. I'm sure you will find out within a year. I suggest you wait until you are in your room to read the letter," Sharmila said, producing a yellowed envelope from her robe and laying it next to Kali's plate. "I think it will be more comfortable."

The headmistress began to talk of many things. She commented on the weather, the food, the other children, and anything else she could think of. Kali said nothing. She only stared at the letter and nodded now and then. Around six, Sharmila dismissed her. Kali thanked her for the meal and left the room slowly. Instead of going to her room, Kali returned to the sunroom. Devin was still sitting there.

"I hope you weren't waiting for me."

"Just got back from dinner, actually. What did Sharmila want?" he asked. Kali sat next to him and stared at the envelope. "What's that?"

"It's…" she trailed off as some straggling young children hurried to their rooms. They were left alone. "It's a letter from my mother."

"Your mom?" Devin repeated. At a nod, he asked, "but didn't she die?"

"I always assumed she did cuz no one ever told me what happened, but I didn't know for sure. I'm a little afraid to open it."

"Then I'll do it for you," Devin offered. She surrendered the envelope and watched him tear it open. He handed it back.

"Let's read it together," Kali whispered. Inside was a typed letter. It said:

Dear Kali,

I suppose you've been alone for quite sometime. I guess you're all grownup now, too. There's no easy way to say this, but… I never wanted to give you up, my daughter. Vincent, however, thought it might be best to do so. I guess you're old enough to know that widows generally do not give birth after her husband's death and raise the child alone, especially if they were wed for only a week and in secret. People assume the child is illegitimate, which is unacceptable, and the mother has little proof otherwise, if any at all. You see, your father died long before you were born. Come to think of it, I didn't even know you were coming until about a week, perhaps two weeks after he passed on. You're probably thinking, "If my father's dead, who's this Vincent?" Am I right? He's an old friend of your dad's and mine, and, oh, Kali, there is so much I want to tell you of your heritage! Your father was strong and infamous. I wish I could explain all of it here. If I did, you would be sitting here until well into next week. Kali, listen to me. I want you to come to my home. I want you here on your fifteenth birthday. I don't want you to come one day later, not one day earlier. Kali, I want to tell you who you are and what power you hold inside yourself. I love you, my child, and I know your father would, too, if he was alive. I want you to know him. He was a wonderful man. His death was unfortunate, and not at all deserved. There are many who would say otherwise, but I pray that you will not have the… pleasure… of meeting them.

Enclosed are two hundred Jins. I am hoping that when you open this letter, it will be enough to buy a train ticket to Miki. The prices have been going up as of late. Either the day of your fourteenth birthday or the day before you leave to come here, Vincent will be calling for you. I do not remember which, and I don't wish to disturb him, as he is currently taking a nap as I write. Kali, I hope you will accept this offer. I love you, and I regret putting you through this. Please, come meet me. I would love to see you at least once before my own life ends.

With love,

Michiko Yori

P.S. Dress warm. I am in the mountains, and I am sure our winter is far colder than out there in Kauko.

"So she wants me to live with her…" Kali muttered. She glanced at Devin. "Do you think it's an imposter?"

"No way. Look at the tear stains on the paper," he said. The name scrawled at the bottom was smeared and the paper was grayed. "If it was an imposter, I doubt she would have been crying."

"Yeah," she whispered. She read the letter again. When she was finished, Kali stood. "I should get to bed. I have some thinking to do."

"You gonna be okay?" Devin asked as he wrapped his arms around her. At her nod of confirmation, he walked with her to the hallway. "Good night, Kal."

"See you tomorrow," Kali muttered. They walked down opposite ends of the corridor.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali turned out the lights, but she was unable to sleep. Thoughts of her mother filled her head. When Kali finally drifted off, she was woken right back up by a noise in her room. Upon waking, she realized that it was her phone.

"Kali, here, Madame Sharmila," she muttered groggily as she picked up the receiver.

"Good, you're still up."

"Barely."

"I have a phone call for you. He says his name is Vincent. Is he someone you know?"

"Yes, please put him on," she said quickly. Kali was suddenly wide-awake, sitting straight up in bed. There was a beep, and the next voice she heard was that of a man.

"Kali Yori?" said the voice. It was deep and smooth, but soft and a bit quiet.

"Yes, this is she. Are you Vincent?" she inquired. The man hesitated before answering.

"My name is Vincent Valentine, yes. I suppose you've read your mother's letter, then?"

"I just finished it. Are you truly a friend of my parents?"

"Indeed. Your mother's been very worried about you. She'll be happy to know that you're doing well."

"She's worried? Maybe I should come out sooner rather than later."

"No, Kali. It was your father's last wish that you not see her until you turn fifteen if you were put up for adoption. Your mother and I have done what we could to fill that wish."

"But why would my father want me put up for adoption?" she exclaimed.

"Kali," Vincent began. He sighed before he finished. "I wish I could tell you myself. Your mother can explain it far better than I."

"May I speak with her?" Kali begged.

"She's asleep. I'm not supposed to call until just before you come to meet her, but I think you could use the birthday wishes. That is, if what your father told me last night is true. Hardly anyone has remembered it, have they?"

"My father told… but he's dead! You just said so!"

"Yes. I assure you, you'll understand when you speak with your mother in one year," he said quickly. The line became silent.

"Vincent? Are you still there?"

"Kali, I have to go. Keep the money tucked away until the week before your birthday next year. Use it to buy a one-way train ticket to the station in Miki. When you get there, catch a cab or bus to the base of the Hotaka Mountain. Get off at the first stop and get a carriage to the Yori house by Douglas Lake. I'll be waiting outside her cabin. Can you remember all that?"

"Yea, just wrote it down," Kali answered, scrambling for a pen. "How will I know it's you?"

"Trust me," Vincent said quietly. Kali didn't see it, but he was looking down at his left arm. "You'll know."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Kali," he whispered. The next noise was a click as the mysterious Vincent Valentine hung up the phone.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

It was nearly a year before Kali heard from Vincent or her mother again. She spent the time planning and setting her affairs at the orphanage in order. By the time her birth month rolled around again, she was anxious to be on her way. There was still one problem that she didn't notice until the night before she was to leave.

"Kali, do you really have to go?" Devin inquired. He and Kali were strolling the grounds one last time. He held her hand tighter than he ever had before.

"Unfortunately, yes. I want to stay with you and Madame Sharmila, but I have to know who my parents are."

"I guess it's for the best. It's just," Devin sighed. He leaned against a tree and hugged her. "We've known each other for fourteen years. I always figured I'd be the one to get out of here first. I didn't really think about what may happen if you were adopted or went home."

"Devin? Thank you," Kali whispered into his chest.

"For what?"

"You've always been like a brother to me. You're the only one I feel I can talk to around here, so… thanks."

"You keep in touch, hear?" Devin commanded. Kali smiled.

"Of course. And good luck when you get out. Only, what, a year?"

"Yeah. Who knows? Maybe I'll move out to Miki. Maybe… get some land on Hotaka Mountain," he whispered.

"I'm really going to miss you, Devin," Kali sighed shakily. A few tears slipped down her cheeks. "Actually, there's been something I've wanted to tell you lately."

"What's that, Kal?" he asked. He held her tighter.

"Devin, I-" Kali was cut off by the loudspeaker from the building.

"Kali Yori, you have a phone call. Please return to the building. Kali Yori, return to the your room for a phone call."

"Oh, I better go."

"What were you going to tell me?"

"Never mind. It wasn't important," Kali shook her head. "I better go get that call. I'll see you later."

"I'll be in in a few minutes. Bye," Devin said quietly. When she was out of earshot, he sat on the ground, looked at the sky, and whispered, "I love you, Kal."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Vincent?" Kali exclaimed when he picked up the phone.

"Yes. How are you, Kali?" said the faceless voice. He sounded different. Kali was unable to decide whether he was happy or sad. "You're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, sir," she answered. "How's mom?"

"Okay, I suppose," he said gravely.

"You suppose? What does that mean?" Kali gasped.

"You will see. Now, you remember how I told you to get here, right?"

"Yes, now please, is my mother okay?" Kali begged. Vincent took a deep breath, sighed, and took another.

"Your mother… is very ill. I'm not sure what she has, but she hasn't left her bed in about two or three days. With luck, it's only a bad flu. Kali, I hope your journey here is safe."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I'll talk to you in a few days, okay?" Vincent said, ignoring the question. "Goodbye, child of Sephiroth."

"Child of what?" Kali questioned. She only got a dial tone in reply.

"Kal?" Devin called into her room. She hung up the phone and looked at him.

"Devin, do you know who or what Sephiroth is?"

"Huh?" he shrugged. "No clue."

"It's just… Vincent called."

"The one from the letter?" Devin asked, sitting next to his friend on the bed. She nodded.

"He called on my birthday last year, too. Just before he hung up, he called me the child of Sephiroth."

"Maybe that's your dad's name," Devin suggested.

"But what kind of name is that? _Sephiroth_," she repeated, shaking her head. They sat for ten minutes without saying anything. "I should get some sleep. I leave at eight tomorrow."

"Okay. Kal?" Devin said as he stood to leave. "If you ever need anything, give me a call anytime, day or night. Got it?"

"Thanks," Kali replied, forcing a smile.

"Good luck out there."

"Yeah," Kali nodded. When Devin was gone, she changed for bed, but didn't sleep. Instead, she laid in bed and cried for the next hour.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Goodbye, Kali. We'll miss you," Madame Sharmila whispered, wrapping the girl into a hug. She and Devin had gone to the train station with Kali to wish her good luck, and were now regretting letting her go.

"I'll keep in touch. Thanks for everything," Kali muttered. She and Devin said little to each other, but they did hug tightly. "I better go before the train leaves without me."

"Take care of yourself," Devin told her.

She hurried onto the car with her bags and waved as the train began to push forward. No sooner were they out of sight than Kali began feeling sick. She wrapped up tighter in her coat and tried to sleep. When the woman with the cart of food came later, Kali ate only a muffin. By the time she reached Miki two days later, she found herself longing for the Saint Ai Orphanage more than she ever would have thought possible. She smiled to herself, though, as she got off and ran to catch her bus. Vincent had been wrong; she got to the town without trouble. When she got to the mountain, however, disaster struck.

"What do you mean I can't get up?" Kali nearly screamed.

"I'm sorry, miss, but it's like I said. There's three feet of snow on that mountain, and our only driver that can make it through is out with the flu," the carriage manager said.

"Please, I have to get up the mountain! My mother is sick, this may be the only chance I get to see her!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, but-"

"Excuse me!" came a female voice from the crowd. Kali turned to see a woman walking towards her. This woman had long, brown hair, and glasses covering her deep brown eyes. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. "I couldn't help overhearing. Did you say your mother is sick and lives on the mountain?"

"Yes! Do you know her?" Kali exclaimed.

"If her name if Michiko Yori, yes. You must be Kali," she smiled. "I'm Anima, a close friend of your mother's. I was just going up to my house. I don't live too far from her, if you want a ride."

"Thank you, ma'am," Kali bowed. She followed Anima into the snow-covered streets. They stopped in front of a military hummer.

"It will only take a few minutes. She doesn't live too far up," Anima explained. She helped Kali put her bags into the hummer before they took off towards the snow-capped peaks. "I can't get up her driveway, though. My car's too big. You'll have to walk a little ways."

"That's okay," Kali grinned. Anima gazed at her.

"You look a lot like him. Especially your eyes."

"Like who?"

"Your father."

"You knew my father?" Kali gasped. Anima nodded.

"Of course. Your mother and I have been close friends since we were probably a bit younger than you are now. I was the first person to meet your father after he and your mom got together. But then, she can explain it better than I."

"So does that mean you and Vincent are married or what?"

"Pardon?"

"I saw your ring on your finger. I know that Vincent's an old friend, so I thought…" Kali didn't finish the sentence.

"You misunderstand. Vincent lives with your mother. They're only friends, I assure you," Anima said quickly at the look of shock on the girl's face. "He has been looking out for her since the day you were born. He isn't married at all. Michiko and I asked him once if he had any interest in marriage. He said that because he will outlive any woman he falls for, he doesn't want to suffer heartache again. He's had too much of that already."

"What do you mean?"

"I really should let him explain it. It's not my place. No, he and I are not wed. He's twice my age, anyway. My husband's name is Luben. He and I got married just before you were born, I guess. You'll meet him tomorrow when we come over."

"Vincent's twice your age? He doesn't sound like it over the phone."

"You wouldn't think it to look at him," Anima whispered. Kali only gave her a sideways glance. "You'll see when you meet him. This is it."

Kali looked out the window to see a small cabin, smoke billowing out of the chimney. The curtains were drawn, and there was something red on the roof, although neither woman noticed it much.

"Thank you, ma'am," Kali bowed. She pulled her bags from the back and began to walk up to the house.

"It's Anima! And no problem!" she replied. Kali watched as Anima backed up and began driving away, the snow under the tires turning to slush. When the hummer was gone, Kali turned towards the house, took a deep breath, and began the approach.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** This is, obviously, the not-so-long-awaited-sequel to my _For the Love of an Angel_ story. The story takes place immediately after the last chapter of the prequel with the exception of this chapter and the beginning of the next. For anyone who is reading this and didn't read the other one, I advise reading at least a little of it, because I'm not going to waste eleven chapters explaining what happened fifteen years ago from this fic's time. _Angel's Child _is more of a horror story than anything else. At least, I'm hoping it will be after the first two chapters. There will be a hint of romance at first (Yuffentine, specifically, until… never mind, you'll see. Crap, I spoiled part of it saying that pairing… readers of both stories will know what I mean…), but not nearly like the story before it. There'll be lots of monsters, mostly zombies, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, demons/devils, ghosts, gargoyles, goblins, skeletons, the classic Final Fantasy fiends, and maybe a doppelganger or two. Also, there will be a change in the rating from 'PG-13' to 'R' after the third or fourth chapter due to language, scary/gory moments, some drug use, and some sexuality that will occur later on. You've been warned. Anyway, enough rambling.

Review the chapter! Please?

NINJA MAGE


	2. Parents Lost

****

Chapter 2

Parents Lost

Vincent was stretched out on the roof of Michiko's cabin, a cigarette between his lips, awaiting the arrival of Kali. The sun hadn't come out yet. The clouds were dark and thick, hinting at another snowstorm. He sighed, a puff of smoke escaping his mouth as he did so. Eyes closed, he began thinking of his deceased friend. Vincent cringed slightly as he thought about the day Sephiroth died on that far away world full of contests of strength. Presently, he sighed again and promptly began choking on the ashes from his cigarette that had dropped into his mouth. He spit over the gutter and flung the stick into the snow below. He looked towards the driveway.

"Where are you?" he uttered under his breath. Vincent stretched and closed his eyes again and began to doze. While he slept, he dreamed the sweetest yet most heart-wrenching dreams he'd had in a long time. Sephiroth was in one dream, playing with his young daughter and older son in Nibelheim, oblivious to what was in the basement of the mansion. In another, Lucrecia sat with Vincent on the beach at Costa del Sol while Hojo studied some sea creatures several yards away. Then there was the dream with Yuffie. Over the past twenty years, he had been dreaming of her the way he used to dream of Lucrecia almost fifty years ago now. He woke with a start, though, when he dreamt that he and Yuffie were making out when a Shuriken came ripping through her stomach. Upon waking, he shuddered at the memory of watching her die fifteen years ago, shortly before he and Sephiroth began their friendship and Vincent was forced to confront his negative feelings for Cloud Strife and the AVALANCHE group. He closed his eyes, forcing the painful memories out of his mind. A cry from the house brought him out of his unwanted reminiscing.

"Vincent!" came the harsh voice. Michiko began to have a coughing fit afterwards.

"About time," he muttered. He leaned over the roof to see a figure with silver and black hair and a black trench coat standing by the front door. He jumped off the roof and walked around front.

"You're supposed to be out here, Vincent," Kali muttered to herself.

"Kali Yori, I presume?" Vincent asked as he came around the corner. "My name is Vincent."

"Oh!" she exclaimed when she turned around. "Yes, I am. I'm honored to meet you."

"Don't waste your honor on one such as myself."

"Huh?" she gasped. She looked him over. He was nothing like she had expected; his black hair was cut very short. He wore a blood-red bandana around his forehead and a matching cape that had a collar so high, it partially hid his mouth. His t-shirt and pants were black, his boots were dark brown with pieces of overlapping gold covering the tops, and his irises were blood red. She also turned her attention to the gun holster strapped to his leg and the pistol contained in it. None of these things really stood out, though, compared to his left arm. His right hand was normal with a black glove not unlike those she wore, but the left was a gold gauntlet from the elbow down. Vincent noticed her staring and quickly hid it in the folds of his cloak.

"A most unfortunate accident almost fifty years ago. Now, it's getting colder. Come inside," he offered, opening the door and ushering her in. Kali entered gladly. Vincent helped carry her bags to her room. He put his cloak and her coat into the closet by the door. Kali realized that he was quite scrawny for a man when he was without the cape. When she was settled, he began to make her some hot chocolate.

"I like your tattoos, by the way. I didn't think someone your age would get them," Vincent commented. Kali reached behind her back and rubbed the two wings printed between her shoulder blades. The right one was black and resembled the feathery wing of a bird while the left was white and the leathery wing of a dragon.

"I got them a few months ago. The headmistress of the orphanage was furious, but she got used to it. Now, I don't mean to sound rude, but how old are you?" Kali asked, sitting at the table and watching the man. "Anima said you were twice her age, but you don't look a day over twenty-five."

"Hmm," Vincent chuckled. "You met Anima already, huh? She's something, isn't she?"

"The carriages weren't operating and she heard me arguing with the manager, so she gave me a ride here. And you didn't answer my question. Thanks," she added, accepting a mug of steaming chocolate. Vincent sat with her.

"In reality, I am seventy-six years old. But you see me as I was at twenty-seven. You see, when I was at the age you see me now, a man who used to be my friend, Doctor Hojo, decided to… experiment, shall I say, with life and death. He chose me as his subject. He shot me in the head, and I died instantly," he said calmly, taking a long drink from his mug.

"Ack!" Kali nearly choked on her drink. "You're… you're un…"

"Undead, yes. He brought me back with this," he said, holding up his gauntlet. "He grafted this gauntlet onto my arm shortly after my passing. The magic it possesses is so strong, it brought me back from the dead. In life, it makes the wearer immortal. It can not easily be removed."

"But why would anyone do that to you?" Kali asked shakily.

"I really should wait. It's all very confusing, even to me."

"I can deal with it," Kali assured him. He looked her in the eyes. There was no hint of lying in them.

"Okay, then. His experiments would have killed a normal human. He needed someone who would not die easily. Because of this thing, I cannot die until it is removed. If it's removed surgically, I will most likely live. That, however, is impossible for any doctor except for him, and he died years ago. And so…" he looked down at his mug. "If I lose it in a fight, which is the most likely to happen, and am not given medical attention immediately, I'll most likely die soon after from blood loss alone."

"You look like a normal human to me. Well, except for your arm. What exactly did he do to you?" she inquired. Vincent looked towards her.

"Things. I saw some books among your belongings by an author named Anne Rice. She wrote of vampires, correct?"

"Yes," Kali whispered, glad to hear that someone else had an interest in such things.

"Then you know that you should avoid me on the full moon."

"Huh?"

"One thing Hojo did was turn me into a werewolf. A sort of mutant, to be more accurate. I can change my form to four others at will, but there is one special one that I take only on the full moon."

"A vampire?" Kali guessed.

"But not one that you would think. Like I said, Hojo originally made me a werewolf. After he… altered me, he laid me to rest in a coffin for safekeeping in the basement of a mansion in a city called Nibelheim. You will hear that name again when you speak with your mother this afternoon," he added.

"I see," Kali nodded slowly, becoming more used to the idea of conversing with the undead every minute. "So how did you become a vampire if he made you a werewolf?"

"There tend to be bats in old basements," he continued casually. He pulled on the collar of his shirt to reveal two perfectly round scars exactly two inches apart on his neck. "One tends to get bitten by a true vampire when he's around that many bloodsuckers."

"Oh, my…" Kali gasped. She was shaking slightly now. She reached out a hand. "Oh. I shouldn't."

"Go ahead. I don't mind. It hasn't hurt since the day I was bitten," he whispered. Kali brushed her fingers over the holes on the pale neck as Vincent kept explaining. "I was unable to become a full vampire because of several events earlier in my life. One event was my becoming a werewolf. The two cancelled each other out in a sense, so I can go out in the daytime without fear of heat stroke, and I only need to drink blood on the night of the full moon. I can change my physical appearance whenever I want, such as in a battle, instead of only on the full moon. Also," he turned a little red as he continued. "I was not… technically speaking… a virgin, when I was bitten. Only virgins, male or female, can become true vampires."

"You would have become a ghoul, then," Kali added. "So why are you _part_ vampire?"

"Before Hojo put me down, I had…" he paused to think of a way to continue without embarrassing the girl. "Intimate relations, let's say, with a certain woman who I cared for very much. When I was resurrected, I guess you could say I had a second life in which I was a virgin. The two merged in a sense, so I was both a virgin and not one, if that's even possible. Since just before I died, I never slept with another woman. You can put your mind at ease if that's a worry you had about your mother and I," he added with a slight smile. Kali couldn't help smiling, too. He had a nice grin, one that made everyone else around him smirk whether they wanted to or not. "Because I was a virgin in my new life, the life in which I was bitten, I was able to retain two parts of the vampire's traits: I must have blood once a month, and my eyes are now red instead of the brown they used to be. Like I said though, thanks to the wolf gene, I cannot retain any others. I can't turn into a bat, my shadow makes even the darkest halls just a bit darker, and you will always find my reflection when you gaze into a mirror with me. Garlic is a favorite food of mine, as well," he added with a chuckle.

"Wow. I never thought that vampires actually existed. How did this man (Hojo, was it?) gain such knowledge of magic to make that gauntlet?" Kali asked in awe. Vincent threw his head back and drained his mug before he answered.

"Easy. He, your father and I are from another planet in which magic and monsters are both abundant."

"WHAT?" Kali yelled. She stood and backed into a wall. In doing so, she knocked her mug to the floor, spilling hot liquid. "So you're an alien. And my father was an alien," she whispered. Realization dawned. "Oh, shit! That makes me one!"

"Kali, take it easy," he insisted calmly. He began to clean up the spill. "We aren't aliens. We're human, just like your mother, Anima, her husband, and anyone else you've known and will know here. I should not say we are from another world. Another dimension would be more accurate. Our dimension is an alternate version of this in the sense that we have monsters and are more technologically advanced. You're mother can explain better as she and Anima were the ones to discover this."

"You keep saying my mother can explain. When the hell am I going to get to talk to her?" Kali snapped. She was just under the point of hysterics.

"Right after lunch. She is very ill right now. She'll feel better this afternoon," Vincent explained in another attempt to calm her. "It's ten o'clock now. Wait two more hours and all will be revealed to you. Now, why don't you lie down? You look like you've had a rough ride getting here."

"It was fine until I spoke to you," she said quietly. Vincent looked down at the floor.

"I suppose I should have waited to tell you all of that. I apologize. Let me go speak with your mother. Perhaps I can convince her to talk to you earlier," Vincent said. He disappeared into a room at the far end of the single-story cabin. When he came out ten minutes later, he was smirking. "You mother said that she'll talk to you when Anima and Luben get here. I'll call and tell them to come now."

"Do they have to be here? I want to talk right away," Kali whined.

"Yes, they do," he said, picking up the phone and dialing the number. "Anima? Oh, Luben, hey. It's Vincent," he paused. "Yeah, she is." He paused again, shooting a glance at Kali. "She does look like him. Got a little of his temper, too."

"Hey!" Kali snapped. Vincent ignored her.

"Listen, she's really anxious to talk to Michiko. Would the two of you come by a bit earlier?" he waited. "Eleven? Yeah, that's fine. See you in about forty-five minutes. Bye."

"I can't wait another hour," Kali moaned as he hung up. Vincent looked at her.

"You truly are your father's daughter. I recall that he was quite impatient, too," he whispered. He turned and went into the living room. "Have a seat anywhere."

"Thanks," Kali muttered. She sat on the old couch and sighed. "I want to talk to her now."

"You will shortly," Vincent said reassuringly as he took a seat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Go to sleep. When you wake up, you can talk to her. I promise."

"I don't think I can," she complained, bringing her knees to her chest and leaning against his shoulder.

"Try. I'll go to sleep, too. Will that help?"

"Not really," she uttered.

"Well, then, I know it sounds childish, but would you like if I read to you? Kali?" Vincent looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were shut tight. He smiled and chuckled softly, laid his head against hers, and closed his eyes. Just before he fell asleep, he muttered, "You are definitely Sephiroth's daughter."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You took long enough opening the door."

"My apologies. I fell asleep and didn't wake up until you were about to break the window with your knocking. I'm glad you did; it was freezing in here. Thanks for getting me up so I could put the heater in her room."

"Anytime," a male voice said loudly.

"Luben," a female voice whispered. He lowered his voice so he wouldn't wake the sleeping teenager.

"So, how long has she been out?"

"Since just after I talked to you. She's been through quite a bit talking to me alone. I don't want to think what she'll do when she talks to Michiko."

"Hmm…" Kali moaned. She didn't want to open her eyes. The couch was more comfortable than she thought upon sitting there at first, especially with her coat over her. She listened to Vincent talking with two other people. She recognized Anima's voice almost right away, but she wasn't sure who the man was. _Probably her husband_, she thought.

"She looks so much like him. What about her eyes?" the male voice asked.

"She has his except for the color. They're grey instead of green. I was surprised when I saw her," Anima confessed. "It's been so long since I've seen those eyes."

"Hey, sleeping beauty's awake," Vincent said suddenly. Kali was sitting up slowly, her coat falling to the floor. "You might want to put your coat on. The heat's busted."

"Thanks," Kali yawned, goosebumps covering her exposed skin immediately. She put the coat on and approached the others in the kitchen. Vincent was leaning against the counter and Anima was standing by the window. Seated at the table was a man who looked to be around Anima's age, perhaps a bit older. He had short, blue hair, and his bangs were gelled to the front so that there was only one. "Luben, I take it?"

"The one and only," he grinned. He stood and reached out a hand that Kali took shakily. "I don't bite. You don't have to be nervous."

"Sorry," she said quietly. She looked at Vincent. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Thought you could use the rest. Are you ready to meet your mom?"

"I've been ready for the past fifteen years," she said simply. "Is that a good enough answer?"

"Works for me," Vincent nodded. Anima and Luben left and went into the room Vincent had gone into earlier. "Let's go."

"Yeah," Kali said breathlessly. She followed Vincent into the room. When they went in, it was like walking into an oven. There was a heater next to the bed that was running at full power, making the room boiling hot to the four healthy people

"How do you feel, Michiko?" Anima was asking as they entered.

"Like shit," the woman in the bed smiled. It faded slowly. "I'm sure I'll feel better shortly."

"Does it really need to be this hot?" Luben asked, taking off his jacket and fanning himself with his hand.

"Sorry, I've been really cold lately and Vincent said the main heat just broke."

"Michiko," Vincent interrupted. "Someone really wants to talk to you."

"Of course! Come here, Kali. Let me look at you," the woman said happily. Kali walked past Vincent and stared at the woman in the bed. It was deathly quiet as they looked at each other. The woman sitting in the bed had long black hair with bits of grey in it. She had stone-grey eyes and pale skin. She gazed at Kali with tears in her eyes.

"Mom…" Kali finally whispered. Michiko smiled.

"Yes. Have a seat so I may begin," she said quietly, pointing to a chair next to the bed. Kali laid her coat over the back and sat. Michiko only stared. "You look so much like your father."

"That's what they said," Kali answered in a hushed voice. She nudged her head in the direction of the other adults. "What did he look like? What was his name?"

"I suppose you should know that before I explain. Let's see… He had long, silver hair that reached his knees, and he had bright green eyes. His pupils were more of a cat's than a human's. He was around six feet tall and all muscle. He dressed a lot like you. All black, except he didn't wear a shirt under his coat. Instead, he had armor covering his stomach. You see, long before he and I met, your father was a General in the army of his world. Yes, he was from another planet."

"Vincent told me a little already."

"Did he, now? Well, then, what else can I tell you about him," Michiko muttered. She paused to think. "Ah, yes. His sword. He wielded a katana called Masamune. He was the only person capable of lifting it, as it was eleven and a half feet long."

"Impossible," Kali said immediately, suddenly doubting the sanity of the woman who claimed to be her mother. "The physics simply wouldn't allow a katana that large."

"But did Vincent tell you? On their world, magic is abundant. A lot of magic went into the forging of Masamune. Its power was magnificent."

"How did you meet?" Kali asked, deciding to drop the subject of the sword.

"I'm glad you asked. That's why I wanted you here. My name is Michiko…" she began.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

(A/N: For the whole story of Michiko and Sephiroth, read the prequel, _For the Love of an Angel_. Because of the length of that story, I won't be posting any of it (with the exception of the very end) in this one, so get reading!)

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Michiko didn't stop speaking until almost five o'clock. She told the tale of her adventure to help Sephiroth and Vincent find their way home in great detail, some parts even greater than Kali wished to know. When she was finished, she gave Kali everything she owned that involved Sephiroth plus her wedding ring. Kali regretted coming, though, for she also learned that Michiko was dying. She was very ill, and Sephiroth had told her in a dream that she would die at exactly five o'clock on Kali's fifteenth birthday. Vincent would care for her from now on. Kali hugged her mother when Vincent tried to take her out of the room.

"I want to stay," she whispered.

"If you think you can handle it," Michiko replied, returning the hug. Kali nodded and pulled away. They held hands tightly as Michiko looked at her friends. "I'll miss you all deeply. I love you all."

They watched as Michiko closed her eyes and breathed shallowly. Kali never let go. After about thirty seconds, her hand fell limp in Kali's and her chest stopped rising and falling. Without knowing why, Kali began to cry and laid her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Goodbye, mom," she sobbed. Kali didn't move when Vincent laid his hands on her shoulders.

"Kali, come on. I need to get her ready for burial. Let go," he whispered soothingly. Kali sat up, turned around and buried her head in his chest. Vincent, after a moment's hesitation, wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. "It's alright. Go ahead and cry. I understand perfectly."

"We'll be in the kitchen," Anima whispered. She and Luben approached the bed. "Goodbye, Michiko."

"We'll miss you," Luben muttered. They were gone a moment later.

"Kali," Vincent whispered a few minutes later. "Why don't you go out to the living room, okay? I'll be out in a minute or two."

"Yeah, fine," she sobbed. Kali picked up her coat, took one last look at her mother, and walked sadly out of the room.

"Poor thing," Vincent sighed when she was gone. "Kali, I know how you feel. I really do."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hey," Vincent muttered ten minutes later. Kali was standing on the front deck of Michiko's house. When she turned to look at him, he held up two mugs and handed one to her. "I brought you some more hot chocolate. Damn, it's cold."

"Yeah," she sighed. Her eyes were red, but she was no longer in tears. They stood and sipped their drinks slowly. "I feel horrid right now."

"I understand. I've lost many people throughout my life. It never gets any easier. You know, you and I are very much alike. My mother died giving me my life, so I never knew her, just as you never got to know your father. My own father, a member of the Turks of ShinRa as I once was, was killed in the line of duty when I was just about your age, and you just witnessed the death of your mother. Believe me, I know what it's like. At least you could say goodbye to her. When my father died, I never got to see him. All I got was his superior coming to take me to a foster home. Now, I think we should go bury your mother before she decomposes and stinks up the place," he said. Kali smiled a little before bursting into tears again.

"My god, I just met her and I've already lost her," she sobbed. Vincent took her mug, put both on the floor, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm still here," he whispered. "I'm still here."

"Thank you," she muttered. When she was calmer, Vincent and Luben carried Michiko's body out back and found where Vincent had marked a burial site. Kali struggled to hold back tears as she watched her mother be laid to rest in a coffin and then lowered into the ground. Luben and Anima took Kali away as Vincent began to fill the hole with dirt; she was unable to contain the tears any longer.

"It's done," he said gravely a few minutes later. He washed his hand and turned to Kali. "I'm sorry. She was a wonderful woman. I regret my suggesting that she take you to an orphanage. I wish you could have known her more."

"Yeah," she sighed, wiping a few stray tears from her face.

"Vincent, we really should go," Anima muttered. She and Luben said their goodbyes. At the door, Luben paused.

"If we find one, we'll let you know immediately," he said. They were gone a moment later.

"'Find one?'" Kali repeated. Vincent shook his head.

"Never mind. Are you hungry?" he asked. Kali nodded.

"Starving. Oh, and Vincent, if you're going to be looking after me, you should know that no one ever keeps secrets from me for long," she advised as the phone rang. Vincent answered.

"Hello?" He was silent. "Yes, she's here. Who's this?" he said cautiously. "Alright, I'll ask. Kali," he said, turning to her. "Do you know a Devin Alden?"

"Give me the phone!" she snapped. She snatched it away and took off down the hall to her room, leaving Vincent in a state of shock.

"How are things going?" Devin asked when he realized that Kali was on.

"Oh, Devin, it's horrible. My father's an alien, he tried to destroy his planet, my mother died an hour ago, and now I've been left in the care of a vampire!" she said quickly. Devin was silent. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah. Now, repeat everything between 'oh, Devin, it's horrible' and 'are you still there.' Only slower," he asked. Kali giggled a little. She apologized and repeated herself slowly, but stopped halfway through from the tears.

"I'm sorry, Devin. I don't mean to cry, it's just…"

"I know, I know. Go ahead. How about I call later?"

"Oh, I've wanted to talk to you more than anything since I left, I really have, but if you don't mind calling in another day or two…"

"Sure thing, hon. I really hope you're okay. I'm really sorry about your mom. I'll talk to you in a few days, alright? Take care of yourself."

"Bye," she gasped. No sooner had she hung up than Vincent came walking up the hall. He took the phone and smiled knowingly.

"A friend from the orphanage?"

"Yeah. But that's all he is. Although lately, I wish he was…"

"A bit more?" Vincent finished. Kali blushed and nodded. Her new friend smiled and took her hand. "Let's go eat."

"Okay," she agreed.

An hour later, Kali was sitting on the windowsill in the living room, her stomach aching from dinner. Vincent had made a roast with potatoes, corn, and biscuits, and afterwards he pulled out a yellow cake with chocolate icing and 'Happy Birthday Kali' scrawled sloppily across it. Kali felt she was about to burst; it was amazing how well a man with little cooking experience could manage. She ate more than she ever had before and was now regretting it. Vincent was stretched out on the couch behind her, beginning to sleep off the meal. Kali stared at her mother's tombstone through the window.

"Vincent?"

"Hmm?" he moaned.

"Why didn't you tell me right away?"

"I didn't want you to panic. Not that you didn't anyway, but I thought it would be better coming from Michiko," he muttered sleepily. He sat up and stared at her. "Do you really want to know what Anima and Luben are looking for?"

"Yes," Kali said automatically. She joined him on the sofa.

"You remember how, when your father was here, Anima and Luben ran scans to find the portal in Kauko? Well, I would like to see my home one last time. They are going to find one to my world, block it off, and show me how to run the computer so I can get back. Kali, I'm not asking you to come with me," he said when he saw the look of excitement in her eyes. "In fact, I would rather you didn't. I suspect that Cloud is still alive. If not him, at least some of my other comrades are. If they knew who you are, they'd try to kill you."

"Please, take me with you! I want to know where my father came from. Besides, mother said that you're a great gunman. I know you'll never let them hurt me. Please, Vinnie?" she begged. He sighed heavily.

"On one condition: you _never_ call me 'Vinnie' or even 'Vince' again. Now go on to bed. There's a chance they'll find one tomorrow, and we'll need a lot of energy if we go. I'll wake you if I hear anything," he ordered.

"Okay," she said. Kali stood and began walking to her room.

"And Kali?" Vincent called. She turned around to find him handing a pistol to her. "If you ever need it. Trust me, you will where we'll be going."

"Oh…okay…" she gasped, taking the gun nervously. She hurried to her room and hid it in her bag.

"Good night, Kali," Vincent called as he passed her room to go to his.

"See you in the morning."

Kali didn't even undress; she took off only her gloves, choker, bracers, coat and boots. She pulled back the covers, laid down, wrapped up, and fell promptly to sleep. She was woken up around five-thirty by Vincent.

"What's wrong?" she grumbled. When she opened her eyes, his skin was pale, but his eyes were wide and excited.

"They found one by their house. It closes in six hours. We have to leave as soon as possible."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Okay, chapter 2 up and running. Just so ya'll know, I don't know how accurate the info that Vincent gives Kali about his past is, so please don't flame me! I haven't gotten very far in the game (still trying to struggle through the Temple of the Ancients), so I don't know much about him. BUT he's a kick-ass character, so I'll just make up what I don't know. Or trick SV into giving away stuff like I've done before. On accident, of course ;; Anyway, I also encourage any new readers to read the story that this is a sequel to just for some background info. Without it, you may get confused about events in chapters 4/5/6 (don't know which yet), and one quite a bit later on. What else…? There was something else…? Oh, yeah. I know Vincent was portrayed as being a bit cuddly and kind, which I also know is _nothing_ like how he acts in the game. During his stay with Michiko, he began a little less cold-hearted. I'll also show a little bit of who helped him break through the coldness in chapters 4/5/6. Again, haven't decided which.

**SOUL VAGABOND:** Thank you very much. Yeah, I thought the hummer would make you happy. Although, I have a feeling it doesn't make up for you being married. At least you don't have kids… Also, chapter 3 will probably be the last one featuring you. Sorry! Maybe I'll show you in the last chapter or something. Ah, well, still got awhile to decide. Thanks for editing this chapter for me, too. I'll put the Mako in when they meet up with you-know-who. Since you edited, I won't be insulted if you don't review. Not that I ever am, mind you.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	3. Those of the Planet

****

Chapter 3:

Those of the Planet

"…and you hit enter. Give it anytime between a few minutes and a day and it should come up with something. You get it?" Luben asked. He had just spent the last hour showing Vincent how to work the computer to come back to Jahan when he was ready. Vincent nodded. "Good. Now, to see what world you'll show up on, press the down key twice and enter."

"I can do that," Vincent assured him. "I apologize for having to take your computer, but seeing as how I don't have one…"

"Oh, no problem. We have several more," Anima reminded him. Kali stood next to her, gazing at the portal. She didn't see what was so special about it; all she saw was a large hole in a tree.

"I suppose that's all. Kali, are you ready?" Vincent called. Kali sighed.

"I guess so. Anima, if anyone named Devin Alden comes to the house or calls for me, let him know that I've gone away and won't be back for awhile, please," she requested.

"Of course," Anima said, pulling Vincent aside. "Devin?"

"A friend from the orphanage," he explained quietly. They flashed each other knowing smiles. He pulled away and approached Kali. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she whispered. She took his hand. "I think so."

"Then let's go," Vincent sighed. He stared at her, the memory of Sephiroth doing the same thing as the two of them prepared to go home fifteen years ago flashing through his mind. He smiled at her and looked over at Anima and Luben. "Thank you for everything. I hope to see you again soon."

"Good luck. And watch out for Cloud!" Anima cautioned. Vincent nodded and led Kali to the portal.

"Got everything?"

"Yes," she moaned. "Now, let's go!"

"Okay, then. Here we go," Vincent muttered. He and Kali stepped through at the same time. When they turned around, they saw… Anima and Luben waving.

"What? Shouldn't we be in your world?" Kali asked. Vincent was silent. "I'm getting out. This is stupid. What the hell?" she gasped. When she put her foot out, there was a thin film forming on the passage, thus blocking her from leaving. When she looked back up, Anima and Luben were fading to black. "Vincent? VINCENT! WHERE ARE YOU?" she screamed. He was gone, and everything around her was pitch-black. She screamed louder when she looked at her hands. They were disintegrating rapidly. She rubbed what was left of them against her arms and, tears of fear forming in her eyes, said in a trembling voice, "I'm dreaming. I'll wake up any minute at the orphanage. I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming! AH!" she noticed that the rest of her body was fading. "Wake up! Wake up!" she screamed over and over again until her head joined her body in the disintegrating process. The next feeling was her body being pieced together along with that of falling. "AH!" she shrieked when her head came together again. A golden hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Careful," Vincent called. "The first trip is always the worst."

"Get me up!" Kali yelled. She was hanging from the edge of a cliff, grabbing onto his gauntleted arm while he gripped her. His fingers dug into her wrist. "And hurry up! You're hurting me!"

"Sorry… ugh…" Vincent groaned. He pulled her up slowly. When she was up, he took her hands and checked her wrists. His gauntlet had dug five holes cleanly into her left arm, the blood trickling down. He stared at the liquid. "Kali, clean the blood away now."

"Huh?"

"Do it."

"What? AH!" she screamed as Vincent's eyes turned completely red and he lunged at her wrist. As she turned out of the way, she noticed that his canine teeth had grown considerably longer. He glared at her silently before he lunged again. He gripped her wrist and began to lick the blood from her arm. "GET OFF!" she screeched. He refused. When the blood was cleared of her arm, Vincent's jaw unhinged as he prepared to bite down. Out of fear, Kali did the only thing she could think to do. She kicked her foot out, hitting a most unfortunate part of his body. When she made contact, he doubled over and fell to his knees in pain, releasing her from his strengthened grasp. Kali stared at him as he moaned. She whispered, "Vincent. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No," he gasped. He was silent for a moment, save his panting for breath. When he spoke again, he didn't look at her. "_I'm_ sorry. You know I'm a vampire. Although I don't need to drink on days other than the full moon, when I see blood, I…"

"Vincent," she sighed. She put an arm around him. When he looked up at her, his teeth were back to their normal size. His eyes were still red, but the color came from his irises, along with the tears of pain, anger, and embarrassment that were forming. He closed his eyes slowly and leaned against her. He muttered his apologies over and over, and Kali forgave him just as often. She nudged him soon after they fell silent. "Where are we?"

"If I can get up, I'll tell you," he said, moaning as he stood. "Those are steel-toed, aren't they?"

"My boots? Yeah. Sorry," Kali grinned apologetically. Vincent smiled weakly back and looked over the mountain. The grin faded.

"My god… we're in Wutai."

"Wutai?"

"Yes," he nodded. Kali thought she saw tears in his eyes. "She lived here."

"Who?"

"Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Isn't she the ninja my dad killed?" Kali asked. Vincent shut his eyes and nodded. "You loved her, didn't you?" she whispered. Vincent closed his eyes tighter, turned his head away and nodded, refusing to let Kali see the two tears on his cheeks.

"We should leave. We have a ways to go," he sighed finally. He began to climb down. "Be careful. The wind can get vicious up here."

"Where is this exactly?" Kali inquired, carefully following her friend.

"Wutai is a small town of ninjas and thieves. The city stands on an out-of-the-way island, and it's the only area where people reside here. This mountain that we're standing on is called Da-chao. Rather, it's a statue of their five gods, not a mountain. Yuffie was supposed to be the…" he fell silent.

"The what?" Kali asked.

"I'm trying to think of what she would have been called," he sighed. "I guess you would call her the head or ruler of the city. Her father waited for challengers on the top floor of that pagoda," Vincent explained. He stopped and pointed over the trees to a tall building about a mile from the glittering lights below. The dark night made the building look terribly menacing. "Her father led this city. It used to be quite strong, but they lost a battle in one of the wars of this planet about twenty years ago or so now. After that, the city became nothing more than a tourist trap. I wonder…"

"Yeah?"

"When we left to go to your planet to find Sephiroth fifteen years ago, Yuffie was supposed to be married upon our return. I wonder if Reno decided to live here even though he never actually wed her."

"Who's Reno?" Kali asked.

"I'll explain later. It's an even longer story than what I told you at the house. We need to go into town for some things. Then we'll be on our way," he said as he stepped off the mountain. "But I can tell you that he was a Turk."

"You used that term before. What's a Turk?"

"The Turks used to do the dirty work of Shinra. Shinra was the family that used to control nearly the entire planet. The Turks would commit murder, kidnap, lie, and steal to, as they would put it, 'protect the planet' from dangerous criminals."

"Who would join a horrible group like that?" Kali asked. Vincent stopped, turned, and looked at her.

"People who don't know what they're getting into, that's who," he said rather bitterly. He turned and continued to walk towards the city. A thought hit Kali as she ran after him.

"Vincent, I'm sorry! I forgot you were one!"

"It's fine," he muttered over his shoulder. As they walked into town, the light blinded them and the noise of the people hurt their ears. "Stay close."

The two of them walked through the street quickly. Kali looked nervously over her shoulder as people whispered.

"Look at that guy in the red cape."

"Isn't that the ex-Turk?"

"No, way, he died ages ago!"

Vincent tugged her along carefully. They didn't run into any problems until one small group of gossipers caught her ear.

"Who's that girl?"

"She sho' does look like _'im_."

"He never had any kids though, did he?"

"Jes' the one boy," someone muttered. Kali slowed, her heart leaping into her throat.

"Who? Oh, the kid who joined the remaining clones almost twenty years ago, right? Didn't he die, too?" said another voice. Kali listened carefully as they began to walk right behind her.

"Nah, Cloud lef' 'im mortally wounded ta die, but he pulled through."

"Where is he now?"

"Don't rightly know. Heard a rumor that he been hidin' out in Midgar, hidin' from Cloud. Course, mah cousin says he saw the guy out near the Temple awhile back, so I dunno where he is. No one does. If you hear anything, you bes' tell Cloud or go up ta the Pagoda and let Reno know. They know he's alive, but they don't wanna cause no unnecessary fightin. None o' them that young anymore, ya know?"

"So, why did Cloud let him live if he knew-"

"Kali!"

"Huh?" Kali snapped back. Vincent was standing in front of a building far ahead of her. She turned to see the people walk past her. She ran up to Vincent, trembling with the news she just heard.

"You okay?" he asked. She looked into his eyes.

"Vincent, tell me the truth. Did my dad have a son?" she asked. Their eyes searched each other, but nether person could find what they were looking for.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"I heard some people behind us talking," she explained. "I'm not going with you if you don't tell me 'yes' or 'no.'"

"I guess you should know," Vincent said finally. "Your father did have a son, long before your birth. Now, if you want to know more, I suggest you come with me and I'll tell you what you want to know as we go along. Come inside. I need to get some supplies."

The two of them walked into a large shop, bottles and vials adorning the walls. Vincent approached the counter while Kali looked around. After a few moments of curious gazing, she turned to find Vincent 'negotiating' with the salesclerk. He had his gun out and was 'asking' for a 'loan' of something he called gil, along with some potions, Phoenix Downs, and a tent. When Vincent had his 'purchases,' he turned to Kali while he holstered the gun.

"Let's go."

"What? We can't just _steal_ from a store and get away with it!"

"Hold it!" The clerk yelled. He had a gun out, too. Vincent stared at him while Kali shot him a look that said quite plainly, _I told you so_.

"Do you really want to shoot?" Vincent asked as the salesman leapt over the counter and took the bag. Vincent held his hands into the air. When the clerk began to tie them, Vincent leapt into the air backwards and kicked the clerk on the chin. Kali screamed and ran to the entrance. Vincent kicked the man in the head as he came back at him. Before the man could stand, the vampire grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, therefore breaking his wrist, and turned him around. "I truly am sorry," he whispered.

Vincent then noticed the blood dripping from the cut he put on the man's chin when he kicked. Kali noticed the danger immediately and shut the door so no one else could get hurt. Vincent's eyes glowed red as he opened his mouth. The clerk was shaking, but too scared to scream. Kali watched with grotesque curiosity as Vincent's teeth elongated and he licked the blood from the cut. He hissed as the cut ran dry and threw the man to the ground. No sooner had he hit the floor then the vampire was upon him, teeth digging into his neck. Kali shook with fear as the body stopped struggling. She listened to Vincent's slurping as he drained the body. He finally stood and turned to Kali. Although he was back to his normal, half his face was covered in blood.

"Oh, Vincent, you're a mess," she said shakily. He raised his eyebrows and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Pardon me," he muttered, licking and wiping the blood from his face. "Better?"

"Hmm-mm," she nodded. Vincent knelt by the body and said a silent prayer. When he was done, he stood, felt around, and picked up a dagger from behind the counter. He grabbed the head of the clerk, lifted it, and, in one swift movement, sliced off the head. "W-w-" Kali stuttered as she watched him drop the head. "What was that for?"

"I didn't taste virginity in his blood. You know very well that people who lost theirs become ghouls when bitten by a vampire. The only way to kill a ghoul is to remove either the head or the heart. I'd just as soon do it right away than risk him getting loose and attack innocent people."

"But isn't that what you do? Kill innocent people to feed?" Kali pointed out. Vincent sighed.

"True, true. Although, over the time I spent with your mother, I have turned more towards stray and wild animals to quench my thirst. There have, of course, also been a couple of burglars who have made the mistake of thinking nobody was home on the night of a full moon," he grinned. Kali pointed to his teeth. When he ran a finger over them, it came away with blood. He sucked on his teeth and grinned again. "Any more?"

"No," Kali shook her head. With that, Vincent picked up the bag, turned out the light, and opened the door.

"Speaking of vampire bites," he began as they stepped into the street. He leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Be careful if you receive any more cuts. Your blood is sweet with virginity. I don't want you to be bitten."

"No problem," she muttered.

They locked the shop door and walked to the weapons shop, where Vincent proceeded to purchase an elegant sword, called Murasame, for Kali. She clipped the scabbard to her belt and she began to leave, but Vincent turned away.

"Where are you going?" she asked. He was going the way they came.

"I want to know if Reno is here or not. Come."

She followed him through the town, slowed by the new weight on her waist. He walked through a small forest before coming to a short stairway that led to the pagoda and a house. Vincent walked up to the house and entered. They walked through a hallway and came to another one with a koi pond behind the wall across from them.

"Sir Godo! Reno! Is anyone here?" he called. They waited a moment before an elderly, muscular man walked out.

"Yeah?" he said. Vincent bowed.

"Good evening, Godo. I-"

"Wait, I remember you," Godo snarled. "Vincent Valentine."

"Yes, sir. I was wondering if Reno took over yet. I see he has not."

"No. It seems that Yuffie did not return for the wedding after your little mission. She seemed to decide against it."

"Pardon?" Vincent asked, taken aback.

"She didn't seem to believe you were dead like Cloud said you were, and she wanted to wait for you."

"Sir, that's impossible. I watched Yuffie die fifteen years ago."

"You liar!" Godo screamed. He glared at Vincent. "For your information, she has been living in Nibelheim for the past fifteen years. She's happy where she is. She doesn't need you."

"Sir, what are you-"

"Vincent, I want you to get out of my town and don't come back."

"Godo!" Vincent yelled. "Have you forgotten what I did when Don Corneo kidnapped her when Sephiroth was alive? I was among those who rescued her!"

"Yes, and thank you for that. But you've put my entire family line in danger, not to mention this city!"

"What are you talking about?" Vincent growled. Kali, having backed into the shadows of the hall was feeling the tension between them and wanted to get out soon.

"If you and Yuffie hadn't met, she would have married a nice guy and I wouldn't have any worries about the future of our island! She's too infatuated with you now! I'm only saying this once: Leave my daughter alone."

Vincent was silent. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out, Kali close behind. When they were away from the house, Vincent angrily took out his pistol and emptied it into the starry sky. When his bullets had run out, he let his arm fall to his side and the gun to the ground. He fell to his knees and shook angrily. Kali knelt next to him and gave him a hug.

"He's lying. She's dead. I watched her," he whispered. He didn't bother hiding his tears this time. He took a deep breath. "But what if…"

"Vincent, if you watched her die…" Kali began. Vincent shook his head and picked up his gun as he stood. He replaced the bullets and put the gun away. He slowly began to walk towards town.

"Let's go to her old house," he said. "Then we can be on our way."

Kali and Vincent walked back down the street to a small house near the entrance to the city. A young man with long, red hair in a ponytail and no shirt was sitting outside smoking a cigarette. He coughed as the two of them approached.

"Who's there?" he called into the darkness. He choked when he saw who was there. "_Vincent_?"

"Hello, Reno. Long time, no see," Vincent said. Reno stared.

"You're dead," he whispered. "Cloud said _he_ killed you."

"Sephiroth obviously didn't. Well, are you inviting us in or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, get in," Reno said quickly. He led them both in. A man with a shaved head was sitting on a cushion reading a book. "Hey, Rude! Check out who's back from the dead again."

"Vincent," he whispered. Although his sunglasses hid his eyes and he spoke with little emotion, Vincent and Reno both knew that his eyes were wide, nor was there any mistaking the hint of shock in his words.

"Good evening, Rude. What are you doing here?"

"Got nowhere else to go since he destroyed Midgar and our headquarters," Rude said in his quiet voice.

"What have you been doin' with yourself all these years, Vince?" Reno asked. Vincent stared at him.

"You know better than to call me that."

"Yeah, yeah," Reno said with a wave of his hand. "So, where you been?"

"Well," Vincent began. He glanced at Kali. "I've been a little… busy."

"Hmm?" Rude looked up at Kali, too. "Your kid?"

"No, no," Vincent said quickly. "Hojo made sure I can't have kids a long time ago. No, actually, she's a friend's girl. Her father died a long time ago and her mother died yesterday. I've been caring for her mom since her dad's death and now I'm taking care of her."

"What's your name?" Reno asked her.

"Kali," she said with a smile. _They aren't half bad, considering what Vincent said about the Turks_, she thought. Reno extended a hand that she took.

"Pleasure," he said. Then he looked at her eyes and backed away quickly.

"What?" Rude asked, standing quickly. Reno shook.

"I'm calling Cloud."

"Don't even think about it," Vincent snapped. Reno picked up the phone and began to dial, but stopped when he heard the click of a gun. He turned to find the barrel of Vincent's pistol against his head. "If you know what's good for you, you'll put the phone back."

"What are you doing?" Reno muttered, the phone returning to the cradle. "She's _his_ kid, isn't she?"

"What?" Rude gasped. He stared at her eyes. He nodded. There was no mistaking those eyes.

"Sephiroth's yes," Vincent confirmed. He tore the phone from the wall and smashed it against the floor. "Don't tell Cloud, savvy?"

"Don't say that name. If anyone hears it, Cloud'll be after you in a minute!" Reno snapped.

"Huh?" Kali sighed. Vincent nodded for Reno to explain.

"Cloud has spent the past fifteen years ridding the Planet of every memory of him save Rude, myself, and those who were his friends at the time. He told everyone that if he ever heard the name again, he'd kill he who speaks it and whoever he spoke it to."

"Oh, really? What do you think he can do to me?" Vincent inquired. Reno shut his mouth. "You know I can't die."

"You should go," Rude said to Kali. She stared at him. He stared back. "If you leave now, we'll act as if you were never here. Won't we, Reno?"

"No way!"

"Reno, even if they're gone now, we owe it to the Turks to protect our own."

"Yeah, but…" Reno tried to find an excuse, but fell silent. He sighed. "Get out of here, Vincent."

"Thanks, Reno. And I'm sorry."

"For what?" he shrugged. Vincent looked at him.

"Taking Yuffie away. I know you felt strongly for her," Vincent replied quietly. Reno's jaw dropped slightly, but he closed it immediately.

"If Cloud starts to hassle you two," he began after a moment's silence, "We'll do what we can to help."

"Reno?" Kali spoke, making the three men jump. She approached him and looked him in the eyes. "I just want you to know that you shouldn't fear me. I know little of what my father has done in the past. All I know is that I'm nothing like him. I don't want to hurt anyone. We came so Vincent could see his home one more time, and then we'll be going back to mine. That's all. Honestly, I don't know what he did to cause Cloud to want to kill him, but…" she slowed down. "I'm not like he was. I don't intend on being like him."

"Yeah, well," Reno stared back at her. "Your father never wanted to hurt anyone, either. It's amazing what can change in an instant."

"What do you mean?"

"If Vincent has the time, I can explain. How about it? Or would you rather wait and tell her while you're on the road?" Reno looked up at Vincent. He hesitated.

"Perhaps another time," he said. "I… lost control, let's say, in the item shop, and…"

"I get it. We won't tell Godo that you did it," Reno said with a comforting smile. Vincent relaxed.

"Kali, let's go."

"Right. It was an honor meeting you," Kali said to Reno and Rude. She bowed slightly as she and Vincent left.

"She's pretty," Rude whispered.

"Don't even think about it. Shit, she's half your age, Rude," Reno laughed. He shut the door and jerked a thumb in Vincent's direction. "It's bad enough Yuffie's thirty-six and she loves a guy who's forty years older. I don't need to look after two groups like that."

"She looks like him," Rude pointed out. "No matter how different from him she thinks she is, she still looks like him."

"Yeah. When you looked her in the eyes, did it feel like she was searching you?"

"Hmm-mm," Rude nodded.

"I got a pretty weird feeling from her."

"Me, too," Rude agreed. "Can't tell if it's bad or good."

"Me neither. You know, maybe helping them out isn't such a bad idea," Reno suggested. He lit another cigarette while Vincent and Kali hurried to the docks on the other side of the island.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Whee! Many fast updates. Just as a heads-up, the rating of this story will most likely change to 'R' after chapter 5, so if you don't like gore, scary images, drug use, cussing (heavy cussing, like, well, let's just say bad, cuz otherwise I'll have to change the rating now), and some sexuality (well, hints of it, not actual… ahem. anyway), stop reading soon! Also, you may want to read my prequel if you haven't already, cuz otherwise you may miss the stuff in chapter 5 and on. Course, you may be confused with the whole "Vinnie's on one world and goes back to his years after he and Cloud went there in search of Sephy" thing, so… yeah. Oh, and you may want to read my songfic to understand the part about Seph having a son that I referred to in this chapter. You'll find out who it is later, but if you're impatient, read the song. Reviews:

**Kizna1200:** ((blushes)) Thank you for calling my stories awesome! I feel really warm and fuzzy inside!

**Kadaj:** Ew! I'm glad I'm not a doctor, cuz I would _not_ want to see x-rays of that if you came into my office.

**NM:** Relax, it's just an expression. ((sighs)) At least you're talking to me again.

**Kadaj:** Well, you let Loz and Yazoo go, so I need to keep up my part of the deal.

**NM: **Shut up! I don't want anyone to know that I let prisoners go! Hush! But I do keep them if they come back, so there.

**Kadaj: **((rolls eyes))

**NM:** In the words of Soul Vagabond… Yeah.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE

P.S. I am working on KH: Final Destiny, so it should be up within the next week or two. Don't think I'm stopping it! I'm just running out of ideas, so don't get mad. Please?


	4. Lair of the Heroes

****

Chapter 4

Lair of the Heroes

"Kali? I'm sorry," Vincent whispered. Kali only leaned on the railing of the ship as they traveled to Nibelheim and gazed at the water below. She made no reply. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear. I mean, your mother made him out to be a really good guy, but…"

"Just… leave me be for a little bit, okay?" Kali muttered bitterly. He left. They had been at sea for only two days, but Vincent had already explained her father's past encounters with Cloud, beginning with his reading the books in Nibelheim and ending with his appearance fifteen years ago. Kali wasn't taking it too well. In the past forty-eight hours, Kali had learned about Sephiroth, his clones, Cloud, the Ancients, Meteor, Jenova, and her half-brother, Kadaj. A thought had begun to tug at the back of her mind. It wasn't until Vincent left her to her thoughts that it struck her: she wanted Devin. Tears formed in her closed eyes as she imagined him wrapping his strong arms around her. "I miss you, Devin," she whispered, grasping her arms for his invisible ones. "God, I miss you so much."

Kali stood on the bow of the ship for nearly an hour before Vincent tried to speak with her again. He walked quietly towards her, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and only stood next to her. They stared at the cloudy sky for a few moments before either spoke.

"I see that the dust of Meteor still has not settled," Vincent whispered. Kali stared at him. "When Meteor hit the planet, the sky was filled with dust. Even two years after, there was still little sunshine, if any. Night was the only time we had natural light. For reasons unknown to us humans, the clouds dispersed only then. That is when the monsters came out most often."

"How can the clouds be dispersed forever?" Kali asked quietly. Vincent looked down at the water and sighed.

"You know what? Of everything I've learned about this planet, that is one of the few things I don't know," he admitted quietly. "If I did, I would have tried to do it long ago."

"Maybe we can find a way together," Kali suggested happily as she laid a hand on his arm. Vincent squeezed it and smiled at her sadly.

"I would like that. I hope I live long enough to see it," he whispered, letting her go. He gazed out over the waves and was silent.

"Vincent?" Kali whispered, concern plain in her voice.

"You should go get some sleep. I've kept you awake long enough. When you awaken, we should be near the mainland."

"Vincent…" she muttered soothingly before trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"Go on ahead," he repeated. "I'll be in to sleep in a few minutes."

"Oh, alright," Kali sighed, giving him a small hug. She returned to their room while Vincent stared at the crescent moon up above and allowed a few tears to stain his face.

"Please, let Sephiroth be wrong. If she is alive, I don't want to leave her again. Either way, I want to be here for Kali. Please, let Sephiroth lie to me about what will happen when we go to Midgar," he said quietly. His thoughts then turned to the dream he'd had before coming to join Kali on the ship's railing five minutes ago.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Sephiroth had pulled Vincent into the Lifestream to speak again. Vincent listened silently before pulling a notepad and pencil from his pocket and scribbling a note upon it.

I don't want to die, he wrote. Sephiroth moaned when he read the paper.

"Vincent, I'm so sorry. I wish it wasn't going to happen, but it will. I cannot change the future. I can only explain it to those who must know."

_What will happen to your daughter?_

"I want you to tell her to find my grave when she gets to Midgar and hide when she comes to kill you. Make sure she knows not to attempt to avenge you. Kali will feel sleepy after your death. When she awakes, my sword will be hers. Afterwards, I want her to look for my son and form an allegiance with him. What happens next will be the choice of my children."

_Sephiroth, is there any way to stop my death?_

"I told you, there isn't. Michiko couldn't stop the birth of Kali, I couldn't change the fact that Kali received no birthday wishes last year, and my heart aches with the knowledge that I could not stop Michiko's illness or death. Why the sudden urge to live? I would think that death would be a release for you."

_That it would be, but I have a promise to fulfill to you and Michiko. I swore I would take care of Kali. I do not want to die before she can care for herself here._

"Vincent…" Sephiroth whispered. "When your death comes, Kali will hold power stronger than even my own. Not even Cloud will be able to touch her. Not that he will be in any condition to when the time comes, but that's not the point. You know of the spell that was put on me as an infant, yes?"

_Yes_.

"It was not put upon me by accident, nor was it the fault of Hojo, as we once thought. I want you to tell her of that, as well. There are strong forces at work on this Planet. I fear for my daughter and even my son, but I also feel that, even if they are the only ones, they will make it through this. Vincent, look after her as long as you can. I'll try to get Kadaj to do the same, but it has proven difficult for me to pull him here as he sleeps too lightly. Vincent, please?"

_Of course I'll look after her._

"And Vincent? Give her this. Tell her to put it in the statue when she arrives. There will be a space for it on Meteor. When she has my sword in hand, she is to remove it and take it with her when she meets Kadaj. Trust me, she will need it to convince him of who she is. Give it to her before you meet Cloud," Sephiroth whispered. He laid a golden necklace in Vincent's hands. The pendant was a single wing, outlined in gold to match the chain and mother-of-pearl filling in the middle. It was a large adornment, reaching from one side of Vincent's palm to the other. He looked up at his friend and nodded. He scribbled one more note on the pad.

_We aren't going to see each other again, are we?_

"No," Sephiroth shook his head. "I don't think we will. At least, not until you are dead. Goodbye Vincent," Sephiroth said sadly. He wrapped his arms around his only living friend.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Vincent shook the memory from his mind and pulled out the necklace from his pocket. He picked a piece of lint off of it and admired the craftsmanship. He remembered that Kadaj had worn it as a child. When they tried to resurrect Sephiroth seventeen years ago, the son had returned the necklace to his father. _If this doesn't convince him that Kali is his sister, nothing will. Sephiroth held this necklace since that day. Nobody could have found it_, he thought.

He gazed back out at the ocean, glancing at the necklace from time to time as the moon shone off the pearl. Vincent grinned to himself as he remembered who made it. He had forgotten how well Sephiroth could work with metal and jewels, the fact that he only made three pieces in his lifetime helping Vincent's forgetfulness. _He put his heart and soul into this necklace, a gift from father to newborn son_. His smile faded. He curled his gauntleted hand into a fist, encasing the jewelry. He looked down at the ring on his hand. It was similar to the necklace, gold with pearl in the middle, except his ring was a mere band wrapped around his thumb with a demon's wing stretching towards his nail, the tip just touching his knuckle. Sephiroth made it for him just before his death fifteen years ago. This was the first time he looked at it in quite some time. He found it among his belongings just before they left and slipped it on without much thought. Now, though…

He sighed and closed his eyes, the cool sea breeze playing across his face. He prayed that Cloud hadn't opened his room again. Upon Sephiroth's death after Vincent was woken up, a necklace was all that remained. Cloud was ready to melt it down, but Vincent refused to allow it. When Cloud wasn't looking, Vincent stole the necklace and hid it in his room in Nibelheim. He hadn't seen it since. _Hell, I don't even remember what it looks like_, his brain reminded him. He tried to think, but he was unable to jog his memory. With another sigh, Vincent pocketed the necklace that he was to give to Kali, began to walk towards their room, and pulled the necklace back out. He nodded to himself, making a decision.

"Kali, are you awake?" he whispered upon entering. The only reply was the light snoring coming from the only bed in the room as she slept on. He smiled, closed and locked the door, and sat next to her, struck by Kali's unexpected beauty as she dozed.

The blankets were tangled around one foot, revealing that she had on a pair of tight shorts made of grey satin that reached halfway down her thighs. She also wore a short-sleeved top made of what appeared to be the same fabric. Her right leg was pulled up so that her foot laid against her other knee. She lay on her stomach, her head facing the porthole to her right and her hands stuffed under the pillow, making the acute angles formed by her elbows frame her head. Her mouth was curled into a smile while the moonlight made her hair and tattoos shine.

As he brushed his hand over her painted wings, she moaned in her sleep and rolled over onto her back. Vincent turned red when he saw how skimpy her pajamas truly were; her breasts were nearly falling out of her top, and it only covered halfway down her stomach. It was not of satin, as he thought (a trick of the light, it seemed), but what looked like a black bra with a thin, grey-colored mesh fabric forming a t-shirt that was attached to the undergarment.

He looked away for a moment and turned back, unclipping the hook of the necklace. He fed the chain between her neck and the pillow ever so carefully to avoid waking her. Vincent clipped the necklace on the other side of her neck and watched for a few minutes as the pendent rose and fell on her chest with each breath she took. He pulled the sheet and blanket up gently and wrapped them around her goosebump-covered body. With a glance at the clock, he gave a yawn so loud, he slapped a hand over his mouth out of fear that he would wake his young charge. It was no wonder; the clock read three a.m. He gave her shoulder a small squeeze before he kicked off his boots. Vincent approached the sink, washed, and began to remove the headband, but stopped at the last moment.

"If she wakes up," he whispered to his short-haired reflection in the mirror, brushing his fingers over the bandana at the same time, "she'll freak out when she sees this."

He heard a sigh behind him and turned quickly, but it was only Kali, expressing her contentment with her unknown dreams. She was on her side now, facing away from him. Vincent grinned and changed into a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt. He stared at his scrawny, underfed-appearing reflection. He rubbed his ribs that were slightly visible through the shirt, shook his head and walked over to her. He stretched out next to Kali and pulled the comforter that lie at the foot of the bed around him. Just as he was beginning to doze, he jumped, just as people always do when they are on the border of sleep and wake. As he fell back, he felt something next to him move, and heard a small voice.

"Good night, Vincent," Kali muttered after rolling over on her right side to face him. Her eyes opened for a split second before they closed again. She curled up tightly against Vincent's side and had soon gone back to sleep. He gazed at her softly and suddenly remembered when he met her. With disbelief, he reminisced.

He had come back to Jahan the day before Kali came, and arrived at the hospital not two minutes after Michiko gave birth. Kali had been given life two months too early. Although that was not a problem here on his world (the technology in his world was enough to pull even the most premature baby through), it was not a good sign on Jahan. The doctors offered little hope, and Vincent could see why. Kali weighed no more than perhaps three or four pounds, and was only about a foot in size. She had been quite small, even for most babies born that early. He remembered gazing at her for the first time; despite her sickly appearance, she was quite a beautiful infant. He also remembered Michiko bursting into tears when she looked into her dying daughter's face.

Kali fell ill not long after her birth, too. Vincent ached to wake her and tell her the secret of her infancy, but he dared not, for she was already living enough of a nightmare. In truth, during her illness, Kali had died. Not even the doctors understood how, but she came back on her own a few minutes later, after the doctors failed to do so. They were about to receive the mother's signature on the death certificate when they heard her crying over Michiko's. The next day, Kali was perfectly healthy and slowly becoming the weight and size she should have been. Only a few days later, Vincent took Kali and Michiko home. Now, fifteen years later, he held the sleeping teenager against his side.

"Good night, Kali, my little miracle," he whispered, tears of happiness forming in his closed eyes. He wrapped his gauntlet arm around her shoulder, laid his hand gently on her face, and rested his head on hers before drifting off to sleep.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali? Kali, get up," Vincent pressured. Kali moaned and opened her eyes. Vincent was sitting next to her.

"What's up?"

"We've arrived in Nibelheim. You have ten minutes before they do a sweep of the ship. Go get dressed."

"Damn," she muttered. "What about a shower?"

"Just wash your face and brush your hair. That'll be good enough for now. Hurry up," he said. He walked out and shut the door. Kali dressed quickly, grabbed her bag and sword, and followed Vincent to the deck.

"Where's the city?" she asked. There was a dock and a few buildings, but not what she had in mind for a town.

"Over there. We have to walk a little way," Vincent pointed. A few miles away, she could just make out the shapes of houses in a group by the mountain. The two of them walked off the ship. "We might as well start now."

They began the walk to the city. For about five minutes, they walked in silence. Then Kali remembered what she wanted to ask him.

"Hey, where did this come from?" Kali asked. She held up the pendant around her neck.

"Your father gave that to me last night. He told me to give it to you."

"Oh," she muttered, glancing down at the ground. "Why has he not tried to contact me?"

"I really don't know. I guess he hasn't felt the need to. Perhaps you sleep too lightly. That's his problem with your brother. Or maybe he has to have met the person before his death in order to visit. I guess we'll never really know."

"I'd really like to talk to him," she sighed. The next moment, she was yelling. "What the hell is that?"

Standing in front of them were three small wolves, each about the size of Kali. Their fur was brown and they growled angrily.

"Nibel wolves," Vincent explained calmly. "Stand back."

Kali leapt behind him as he pulled out his pistol expertly. Without bothering to take the time to properly aim, he shot the gun three times, adjusting the position slightly. With each shot, a wolf fell. Kali watched them fade away in awe as Vincent blew the smoke from the gun, spun it, and holstered it. He stood and watched the area where they disappeared. When he was sure they wouldn't come back and no more would arrive, he picked up the gold pieces from the ground.

"Here, you could use it," he said, holding the coins out to Kali. She took and inspected them. They were quite plain, except they had numbers engraved in them. Five of them had '10,' two had '5,' and one had '50.'

"What are they?"

"This is gil. It's our currency. You receive it by completing odd jobs, killing monsters, or even just looking for it on the ground. Use it to buy weapons, food, hotel rooms, and items. Here, keep it in this," he added, handing a large pouch to her. Kali tied the bag onto her belt and dropped the gold into it. They continued slowly and with little worry. A few more wolves popped up, so Vincent took the opportunity to teach his charge how to fight. She got quite beat up.

"Drink this," he insisted after her fifth fight. He pushed a small vial of blue liquid into her hand. Kali took a sip. "It will heal your wounds."

"Ptoo!" she spit it right back out. "Gross!"

"Drink it or else you could die," Vincent demanded. Kali could see the nervousness and fear in his eyes, so she gulped it down with difficulty. "Thanks."

"I don't ever want to taste that again," she moaned with a shiver of disgust. "But I do feel better. My cuts are gone now."

"I told you so. Drink one of those any time you get severely injured. Otherwise, you'll have to eat this," Vincent said. He held up a small feathery item. "It's called a Phoenix Down. When you're unconscious and on the edge of death, your friends should make you eat one of these. Believe me, they'll heal you enough to wake up and drink a potion, but they taste far worse."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Let's keep moving. I think you've had enough training for today. Besides, it's getting to be dusk."

"Already?" Kali gasped. Indeed, the light was beginning to dim.

"We were asleep until nearly noon and we've been fighting since around one. It's…" he paused to check his watch, "five-thirty now."

"Wow, time sure flies around here."

"That it does. Now, let's head to the city before we have to spend the night out here."

They hurried towards the warm glow of the houses. They made it by six-thirty. When they arrived, several cars were parked outside, along with one large motorcycle. Kali paused at the entrance to the town.

"Is something wrong?" Vincent asked. She looked down at the ground and back at him.

"Once I come into this place," she whispered, "I won't be able to go back, will I? I'll never be able to go back to the way I was, believing both parents to be normal people and dead," she laughed weakly. "I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up in my bed at the orphanage on my fourteenth birthday and everything that's happened since then will be a dream. But at the same time, I want to know my history. I'm afraid, Vincent. I've never been so scared in my life."

"It's natural. Come on, Kali. I'm here with you. Everything will be fine. Please, come with me to see my friends," he begged. He extended a hand towards her. "We'll go together, okay?"

"Okay," Kali smiled, taking his hand.

Vincent guided her through the busy street. She felt just as nervous as she did in Wutai. People whispered just as the ninjas and thieves did. She gulped nervously and kept close to Vincent. Halfway across the town, Vincent suddenly pinned her against a building's wall. His hands guided hers to random places on his back. He laid his gauntlet hand behind her head and pushed her face against his neck and his against hers. He held her head there.

"Vincent! What the hell are you doing?" she yelled into his ear as he did this, the sound muffled by his cape.

"Keep your head down and your eyes closed. Act like we're making out. I'll tell you when to move," he muttered, struggling to resist the urge to bite her neck. As they went through their 'make out session,' Vincent chanced a glance over his shoulder. When the person he had seen was past them, he let Kali go. They stared after the cloaked figure.

"Who was that?" Kali asked. "I saw him walking towards us. What's the matter?"

"That man would have killed me had he seen who I was, and most likely you. You're not ready to meet him, nor is he to meet you."

"But who was that?"

"That was Kadaj," Vincent muttered. He looked at her. "Your half-brother."

"My…" she trailed off and began to follow him. Vincent turned and grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" she yelled, drawing the attention of several passersby. Kadaj, only a few feet away, stopped a moment, shook his head, and continued walking.

"Kali, listen to me. If you try to talk to him, he'll probably kill you. He thinks he's the only child Sephiroth ever had. If you suddenly pop up out of nowhere and say that you're his sister, Kadaj will become frightened. I've faced him before. Trust me, when Kadaj gets scared, he'll do anything to protect himself."

"Hey, Vincent?" she said quietly. "While we were in Wutai, I heard people talking about how much I look like my father, and that's when they spoke of Kadaj. One of them wanted to know why Cloud let him live."

"I suppose you deserve to know the answer to that," Vincent said.

"So will you tell me?"

"No, I'm sorry. I think you should ask your brother when you meet him. You might appreciate it more coming from him. It will also give you an opportunity to tell him about who has cared for you the past few days."

"When will I get to meet him?" Kali moaned, watching her brother's back disappear into the darkness outside the city. In the silence between her question and the answer, they heard the roar of the motorcycle as it sprang to life. They listened as it faded.

"I'm really not sure. At least a week or two. Kali, I'm only going to tell this to you once. I should wait, since that's what your father wants, but I don't know if I'll have time. If anything happens that we need to separate or leave in a hurry, I want you to go to the ruined city of Midgar. On a hill outside the city is a large tombstone with Meteor on top. When you get there, put your necklace into the figure. There will be a spot for it. Wait awhile and you'll be given your father's sword. When you have the sword in hand, take the necklace and go into the ruins. Look all over for Kadaj. If he's not there, head for the forests and fields around it. Be careful, especially at night. Like I said, your blood is sweet with virginity. Keep as much of your body covered as possible."

"Okay."

"Shall we go?"

"Yeah, but I have one question. Where's Midgar?" Kali inquired. Vincent laughed.

"Of course. Come into this shop and I'll buy you a map."

Vincent and Kali entered the store. It looked very different from the one in Wutai, much cleaner and with more items. Vincent approached the desk while Kali waited by the entrance. She prayed that he would pay this time, which he did. He handed her a sphere that was about the size of an orange.

"What the hell is this?" she asked. Vincent depressed a button on the bottom and the sphere lit up. Dots glittered on it for a few moments before words popped up.

"Be careful. It's made of glass and small pieces. Let's go," he said as he walked out. She looked up at him as she turned it off, put it in her bag, and ran after him.

"Why do I feel like I'll break this thing?"

Vincent didn't answer. He only led her to the other end of the town. He stopped this time instead of her. Towering in front of them was a large mansion. Parked outside were two pickup trucks and several large motorcycles.

"This is it," Vincent whispered. He looked at the girl. "This is where your father's journey began. This is where I was laid to rest and awoken. Let's get going."

"Vincent, are you sure?" Kali asked. He only nodded and walked towards the large house.

They knocked on the door, but received no answer. Vincent pushed open the door slowly to the sound of many voices. He took a breath and led Kali into the somewhat dusty home. The people in the entrance hall turned at the sound of the door being flung open and stared at the intruders. A muscular man with short, blonde hair with spots of grey, pilot's goggles on his head, a blue t-shirt, and a cigarette between his teeth spoke first. Kali winced at the volume and intensity of his voice.

"Holy shit, it can't be. Is that you, Vincent?"

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** UPDATES! UPDATES! 3 Cheers for updates! Ok, last PG-13 chapter. From chapter 5 on, it will be R rated. Umm… what else… Nibel Wolves are copyrights of Square-Enix. As are Nibelheim and Wutai. And Vincent. And Kadaj. And… How bout I just answer your questions, k?

**Merielle:** Aw, thanks! Everyone's been making me feel so good lately. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you like Sephiroth so much (Sephy Fangirls Unite!). You'll really like this, I think, since I'm including his daughter (probably one of the few OC's in here) and I don't know about anyone else, but I think Kadaj is Sephy's son, so he will be in here. Think about it: the youngest 'clone' being the leader of them in AC… Oh, yeah… hehe… I was replying, right. Again, thanks loads for the review! (You'll also like the next couple of KH chapters. If you haven't figured it out yet, you will soon!)

**NM:** … Wow, that was so hard to reply to. I mean, bogged down by all those reviews… I was being sarcastic, readers-who-dislike-reviewing. Or just didn't read the last chapter ((cough)) Soul Vagabond ((cough)). Just kidding. I myself prefer reading from the shadows most of the time, so don't feel bad.

REVIEW! (especially you, SV! XD)

NINJA MAGE


	5. Reunion Part 1

****

Chapter 5

Reunion Part 1

"Cid Highwind," Vincent smiled with a nod. "It's been too long."

"HAHA!" Cid yelled. He was upon Vincent in a second, his arms wrapping around Vincent's whole body and lifting him off the ground.

"Jes-_us_!" Vincent screamed with a laugh as he was hurled through the air. When his feet touched the ground again, Cid stepped back and stared at him with tears of joy in his eyes.

"Cloud said you were dead," came another voice. A large, dog-like creature with a flame on his tail approached Vincent. He sat by his feet, flashing what Kali could have sworn was a smile.

"Hello, Nanaki," Vincent said happily as he reached down and scratched his ears.

"A pleasure, as always," the dog said. He leapt up at the scream from the doorway. "Who was that?"

"I apologize for my outburst," Kali bowed. She was shaking. "I've never heard a dog speak before."

"Dog?"

"Pardon me, but I've never seen a creature like you before, and I know not what you are besides, I hope, kind and gentle," she whispered. Nanaki walked over to her and nudged her hand with his nose. She rubbed his neck and both grinned.

"Vincent, you should be the one called 'dog' here," Cid laughed, flinging his cigarette into a nearby ashtray. When Vincent gave him a questioning look, Cid nodded to Kali. "She's yours, isn't she?"

"Vincent is not my father. My father is-"

"Kali!" Vincent snapped.

"She smells familiar," Nanaki muttered. He began to sniff Kali's legs.

"I told you, you can't tell _anyone_ who your father is. Got it?"

"What's going on?" Cid asked. Vincent looked hesitantly from Cid to Nanaki to Kali and back to Cid. "Come on, we're best friends, you can tell me."

"My father is Sephiroth," Kali said quietly. Cid's eyes went wide as Nanaki leapt away and Vincent groaned.

"I recognize that smell now. You reek of him," Nanaki growled, the hair on his neck bristling.

"Please, you cannot tell Cloud. I promised her mother that I would look after her. Cid, you're one of the few people left in this world that I feel I can trust. Promise me, Cid?" Vincent pleaded. Cid could see the desperation in his eyes, so he nodded weakly. "Nanaki?"

"Only because my heart is filled with the joy that you are still alive," he agreed.

"Thank you. This…" Vincent said, pulling Kali closer to his friends, "is Kali Yori, daughter of Sephiroth and Michiko Yori," he turned to Cid and Nanaki. "These are my comrades Cid Highwind and Nanaki."

Cid stretched out his hand, which she took. Cid pulled her to him and kissed her hand, making her blush.

"A pleasure to meet you, even if you are the daughter of a man I have hated for many years," he smiled. Kali grimaced a little at his slightly yellowed teeth. A door upstairs opened and closed. A woman who seemed to be only a few years older then Kali walked down the steps of the manor. She wore a grey sweater with a collar that stretched from shoulder to shoulder and cut off just above her belly button. Her jeans were low-rise, thus exposing much of her abdomen, and wore her long brown hair in a ponytail.

"Oh, my god!" she cried. She ran over to Vincent and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Vincent, it's been so long! Remember me?"

"Umm…" he said as she stepped back.

"Barret's girl?" she said slowly. Vincent's eyes widened as he gazed at her.

"_Marlene_?" he gasped. She nodded happily and hugged him again.

"Shame on you, Cid! Keeping him down here all to yourself!"

"I just got here," Vincent shrugged.

As he spoke, three more people came downstairs. One was a muscular black man with a metal hand and hair in cornrows. Another was a woman with long, dark brown hair, somewhat large breasts, and wore a black leather top and matching shorts. The third was another woman, but younger than everyone else in the room save Kali and Marlene. She had short black hair and wore shorts that were about as long as Kali's pajama bottoms. She wore a black shirt with white flowers printed on it and a headband around her forehead. She held back and stared at Vincent.

"Hey, Vincent!" the black man yelled. He clasped hands with his friend and grinned. Kali noticed that he had scars on his right cheek. "Cloud said you were-"

"Dead, I know," Vincent finished. He looked as shocked as this man. The woman with long hair approached.

"Vincent, how wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed. She hugged him and pecked him on the cheek.

"Kali," Vincent turned to the young girl, "this is Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace."

"Actually," Tifa began. She held up her hand. Two rings, one a diamond and the other a gold band, were on her finger. "Tifa _Strife_ now."

"Vincent," the other girl spoke up. She walked up to him slowly, the others stepping aside. She looked at him with a teary-eyed expression.

"Oh, my god," he whispered. He shook slightly and spoke over his shoulder. "Kali, if I'm dreaming, don't wake me, okay."

"You're not dead," the woman said, tears trickling down her cheeks. She laid a hand on his face. He took it in both of his as a tear slid down his own face.

"Yuffie," he muttered, closing his eyes. They hugged each other tightly.

"I knew you weren't dead. I knew it," Yuffie sighed into his chest. She didn't let go for quite some time. Vincent finally pushed her away a little.

"This is impossible. I watched Sephiroth kill you fifteen years ago," Vincent whispered in disbelief. He looked at Barret and Tifa. "I remember finding Barret's body and watching Tifa slowly die of blood loss."

"What are you talking about? We didn't die," Yuffie assured him with a worried smile. A voice behind them made them all turn again.

"Vincent Valentine. What a… pleasant… yes, pleasant surprise."

"Cloud," Vincent muttered with a glare. He stepped aside slightly to hide Kali from the blonde man's view. Cloud wore black pants and a black t-shirt with the sleeves torn off. His hair was still spiked in a gravity defying way, and his sword was, as usual, strapped to his back. Kali noticed that he wasn't wearing the gauntlet that her mother said he wore.

"You aren't supposed to be here."

"According to you, I no longer exist," Vincent snapped back. Cloud smiled.

"Well, when I didn't see you with Sephiroth, I assumed he had killed you already. But then, you two were far too close for him to do such a thing, am I right?" he pressed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Vincent said quickly.

"Yuffie, Barret, and Tifa," Cloud sighed. He laid a hand in his wife's. "Such painful days, watching them die. I was most fortunate that it was not truly them."

"Pardon?" Vincent gasped.

"I knew how unlikely it was that anyone besides me would live. Before we left, I made clones in secret. The clones went with me. The originals," Cloud nodded towards his friends, "hid out here until my return. As each clone died, I recorded their memories and had their donors view the memories of their counterparts and myself."

"So you were willing to let me die?" Vincent asked bitterly. Cloud shook his head.

"I would have cloned you, but you signed on at the last minute, so I had no time. Besides, I wasn't too worried, what with your past and all. When I returned alone, I told them that you were most likely dead, seeing as how I didn't see you again, and they pretended that they had gone with me instead of the clones," he explained. Vincent looked down at the floor as all these thoughts flew through his mind.

"Using clones for your own means? You're no different than Shinra and Sephiroth," Vincent grinned. Cloud scoffed.

"Sephiroth. He was weak. You saw how easily he fell for that bitch, Mi-whatever the-hell-it-was. She was his undoing. He was too attracted, so it was far too easy to kill him. Although I loved Aeris, I did not dwell on her enough to become too soft. And then there was that bastard son of his. I should have killed him when I had the chance. They are so alike, it's a wonder he hasn't tried to do what his father did," he said angrily. Cloud glanced over Vincent's shoulder to find Kali trembling slightly with anger. Her hands were curled into such tight fists, her nails were nearly going straight through her gloves. "And this is?"

"She's a friend," Vincent said nervously. Cloud laughed.

"First Yuffie, now a girl half her age? You really are twisted."

"My name is Kali," she snapped. She strode past Vincent and, keeping her eyes on Cloud's chest, waited.

"Kali," Cloud repeated. He stuck out his hand. "That's a pretty name. Why don't you look me in the eye?" Kali took his hand, but didn't look up. Cloud knelt to look at her, but she closed her eyes and turned away. Cloud grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Don't hurt her," Vincent muttered threateningly, taking a step towards them. Cloud either didn't hear or didn't pay any mind.

Kali and Cloud stared into each other's eyes for a long time, hate burning in both sets. Before she could react, Cloud had let go of her chin and was reaching for his sword. Kali managed to raise hers as the buster sword came down hard, but the force knocked her to the floor a few feet away. Cloud was about to bring the sword down on her when a gunshot sounded through the room. He yelled as a bullet grazed his ear. Kali, who'd had her eyes closed, opened them to see Vincent standing there, his pistol smoking.

"I said don't hurt her," he repeated. Cloud held his burning ear and glared at him.

"Vincent how could you?" he said shakily. "You owe me. Remember?"

"And do you remember what I said the last time you tried to pull that little trick on me? The answer's still the same. I don't owe you a fucking thing," Vincent said angrily. He prepared his gun for another shot. "Let her up or else this one isn't going to miss."

"What do you want?" Cloud muttered as Kali stood.

"I wanted Sephiroth's daughter to know who his murderer was."

"Sephiroth's daughter?" everyone else yelled with the exceptions of Nanaki and Cid.

"But how? He died and only had a son!" Marlene hollered.

"It was, as Cloud put it, 'that bitch,'" Kali snapped at them. Cloud stared at them both.

"Get out of my house, both of you."

"Cloud, I know she's his kid, but we haven't seen Vincent in so long. Just let them stay one night? Please?" Yuffie begged. Cloud stared at her before sighing.

"One night. If I find one hair harmed on anyone's head, I swear to god I'll kill both of you."

"And if I find one hair harmed on her head, I'll kill you," Vincent said coolly. "Now if you don't mind, I have some personal belongings to get from my room. Kali, come with me."

"Coming," she answered, shooting a dirty look at Cloud. She followed him into the basement.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"These are the books about your father," Vincent explained. He had led her into the basement and the library. Kali picked up a book and flipped through it. It was a photo album, one of the contents falling out as she lifted it. It was a picture of a man with long, black hair tied back, glasses, and a white lab coat; a beautiful young woman with long brown hair, glasses, and a matching coat was next to him; on the right side of the picture, there was a smiling young man with short, black hair and brown eyes wearing a blue suit with a gun strapped to his leg and his arm around the woman's waist.

"This is you, isn't it?" Kali asked. Vincent took the picture and nodded before slipping it into his pocket. Kali flipped through the book to find several pictures of a handsome young man with long, silver hair and the most beautiful green eyes. "And this is my father…" she muttered knowingly. Vincent looked over her shoulder and nodded slowly. He carefully pulled a picture from the book. It was of Sephiroth just before he became a general of SOLDIER. He was sitting with his back against a tree with a large sword lying next to him. Sitting in his lap was a small, smiling boy with short, silver hair and large green cat eyes. Kali recognized the necklace around his neck as the one around her own. She didn't need Vincent to tell her that this was Kadaj.

"Keep this," he whispered. He took her hand and carefully put the photograph in it. "To remember your father. And take this, too," he added. He took another picture from the book. This one was taken from Vincent's left side while he posed with two pistols. One was pointing up with the back of the barrel resting against his forehead, and the other was turned on its side, pointing in front of him. He had his head turned towards the camera slightly and he was wearing the suit and smiling again. "This was taken when I was just about to finish my Turks training. We all had to have profiles taken, but we could stand how we wanted. I was far happier back then. Remember me like that picture, not like I am now."

"What do you mean?" Kali asked. Vincent shook his head.

"I hope you don't have to find out for a long time. Now, let me go get the things from my room and we can go to bed."

"Not together, I hope? 'Cause in that case, Tifa and I made up two rooms for no reason," came a voice from the door. Yuffie was leaning against the frame and staring at them. Vincent chuckled.

"Of course not. Yuffie? Thank you for not letting Cloud turn us out."

"No problem. Hey, Kali? I'm sorry for how Cloud acted," she said. Yuffie approached the girl and smiled. "Just so you know, any friend of Vinnie's is a friend of mine."

"Yuffie, I've told you a million times not to call me that," he whispered. Yuffie shook her head.

"Why don't you like those names?" Kali asked. Yuffie was the one to answer.

"Because Lucrecia called him that."

"Who?"

"The woman I used to love," Vincent said quietly. He walked out of the room.

"I feel so bad for him," Yuffie sighed. "He's so depressed all the time. I almost had him changed, but after…"

"But after what?" Kali inquired. Yuffie smiled at her.

"You look hungry. Come with me upstairs and I'll get you something to eat. I'll explain it upstairs."

The two of them began to walk back to the main floor, stopping in front of Vincent's room. Kali walked in to find several coffins scattered throughout the room. Vincent was standing by the far wall, pulling guns off of it. His cape lie on one coffin while he strapped the guns to his back, legs, and slipped some into his bags. Before Kali could say anything, he spoke without turning.

"If anything should happen to me, take my guns and use them if you ever need to," he said quietly. He continued his work in silence, muttering to himself occasionally, things like, 'needs more bullets' and 'need to remember to clean this one.' Yuffie tugged on Kali's coat and led her up the stairs. When they were in the kitchen, Yuffie sighed and sat at the small table.

"How much has he told you?"

"About what?"

"Your father, himself, the planet in general; how much do you know?"

"I know what daddy did almost twenty years ago and how Vincent got that gauntlet. He also told me about Kadaj."

"Then that makes it easier for me to explain. When Vincent was a Turk, he and Hojo both loved a woman named Lucrecia. After Vincent died, I don't think he ever saw her again. She used to call him little names like 'Vinnie' and 'Vince.' He doesn't like to be called those names anymore, because he loved her so much. He wants to remember being called those names by her and her alone. When I was seventeen, I met Vincent in this very house, and I was a little afraid of him. He began explaining things about his past, and I would say things like, 'oh, no, here comes boring story number one' and, when he asked to join us, I think I said something like, 'not another depressing guy,' or something. I had quite a big mouth back then," she smiled. "After I got to know him, I started feeling bad about everything I had said before. After awhile, I realized that the feeling I got when I was near him wasn't fear, but love. I know that he loved me, but I also know that he didn't act on those feelings."

"If he loved you so much, why didn't he?" Kali asked.

"You know the gauntlet keeps him from aging and dying. The most I've ever done is kiss him. If we started to do more, he pushed me away and explained that he can't be involved again. Because of his immortality, he's afraid to fall in love. He'll say it's because he respects Lucrecia's memory and doesn't want to turn to any others, but I know that he's afraid because of the heartache."

"Yeah, he said that his parents died a long time ago and he's seen so much more death throughout his life."

"Exactly. You know, I think we may be the only two people who understand him."

"What were you going to say down in the basement? You said that you almost had him changed, but something happened?"

"You see," Yuffie sighed. "Before we went after your father, Vincent was over at my house. We were making out, and my dad came over. He has this habit of not knocking, and… let's just say he wasn't too happy with what he saw. Actually, if he hadn't come in at that moment, I think Vincent and I might have… done it."

"That puts great images in my mind," Kali muttered sarcastically. Yuffie laughed.

"That's exactly what I would have said at your age. When daddy saw Vincent and I, he was furious. Vincent left and father gave me the worst thrashing I've ever gotten from him. I found out that as a Turk, Vincent had killed my grandparents. When he was still fresh out of his training for them, he was camping outside of Wutai. Dad's parents went to see who he was. Being thieves, they tried to take some of Vincent's belongings. He caught them, overreacted, and shot both to death. Pop was only about your age when he took over our town. He knew who Vincent was. He didn't care that Vincent had saved my life several times before. 'Once a murdering Turk, always a murdering Turk,' that's what he always said about them. Just before Cloud and our clones went after your father, daddy met Reno. Even though Reno was a Turk, too, daddy liked him, because he didn't know who he had killed besides Don Corneo."

"Who's that?"

"Don was a fat man-whore who ran a hotel called _The Honeybee Inn_ out in the slums of Midgar. Lonely men went there for action. When your father was trying to destroy the world, Don kidnapped Elena, another Turk, and myself. He tied us to Da-Chao and was trying to decide which of us to screw first. He made his decision to do me when Cloud and the others showed up. They beat his pet monster and then Reno and Rude showed up. Reno dropped him over the edge and… well, you get the picture. Daddy was glad that Reno did that, so he betrothed me to him. We were to get married when I returned, but when Cloud said Vincent died, I didn't want to believe it. I told him that I wouldn't marry, and I ran away here. A few months later, I wrote an apology to Reno and told him to take care of my house for me. I've lived here ever since, waiting for Vincent to come back."

"Wait," Kali shook her head, "if Vincent was part of the group trying to kill my dad, why did they become friends?"

"Because of his mother," Vincent whispered. He walked through the door. "Sephiroth, Kadaj, and you are all I have left of Lucrecia."

"Huh?"

"The only thing I didn't explain was the Jenova Project itself. Kadaj knows it all. Ask him when you meet. I think it will do him good to get that knowledge off his chest. But what I can tell you is that Lucrecia was the woman who gave birth to your father."

"Oh," she whispered. Her eyes widened. "So you're my grandfather?"

"Pardon?" Vincent said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you loved Lucrecia so much, so…"

"No, I'm not the father of Sephiroth. There have been times I wished it was so, but only because I hate thinking of the man who truly is."

"And he is?"

"Hojo," Yuffie and Vincent said together.

"The guy who gave you that?" Kali pointed at his gauntlet and shook her head. "But why?"

"Perhaps I will explain another day. It's getting late. You should go to bed."

"I'm afraid to," she sighed. "After what Cloud nearly did earlier, I don't want to be away from you at all."

"Lock your door, then. Kali, I promise, I won't let anything happen to you," Vincent assured her. "I'll be right out back if you need me," he said, laying a hand on her shoulder. He walked out.

"He really likes you," Yuffie muttered. Kali looked at her. "He actually touched you. Vincent is one of those people who only let's certain people touch him. Come to think of it, his dad, Lucrecia, and I are the only one's I've ever known to touch him without getting a dirty look."

"Maybe he's changed more than you think."

"Perhaps. Come one upstairs and I'll show you your room," Yuffie grinned. When Kali was settled, Yuffie began to go outside and join Vincent. As she walked through the main hall, she thought she heard the front door open and close. "Is someone there?" she called. She saw nothing, so she shrugged and approached where Vincent and Cid were talking, never seeing the shadow that was slinking across the floor, hugging the wall and making it's way towards the kitchen without making a noise.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"She's actually pretty for the daughter of a bastard like Sephiroth," Cid said. He held a bottle of beer in one hand and his other rested on the railing of the deck. Vincent leaned on the railing, a bottle in his own hand.

"Yes, she is," Vincent agreed. He sighed and took a drink from his bottle.

"So if you were living with her mom, did the two of you ever…?"

"No. I have more respect for Sephiroth's memory than that," he said. Vincent raised his bottle. "Good stuff. I'd forgotten how good the booze is here."

"Hell, yeah," Cid smiled. He watched Vincent throw his head back to drain the bottle. "You been through so much, you deserve a good drink."

"Hmm-mm," Vincent moaned. Yuffie came out at that moment and couldn't help watching his Adam's apple bob as he chugged his beer.

"Enjoying yourselves?" she joked. Vincent placed his empty bottle on the rail and spread his arms. Yuffie came up and wrapped her arms around him.

"Now I am," he whispered, wrapping his own limbs around his girl. Cid smiled.

"Makes me wish Shera was around."

"I thought you couldn't stand her. Didn't she ruin your dream of going into space?" Vincent reminded him.

"Still loved her nonetheless. She got caught in a storm a few years back while she was out on the sea. Didn't come back," Cid said. He took a swig of his drink.

"Cid? Yuffie? I have a big favor to ask both of you," Vincent whispered suddenly. They stared at him. "I had a dream last night. Sephiroth pulled me into the Lifestream and told me that when I go to Midgar, I'm going to die."

"What?" Cid gasped.

"No. No, you can't! What about your arm?" Yuffie snapped. Vincent held up a hand to silence them.

"It was only a dream, but Sephiroth did the same thing twice to Kali's mother and one other time to me. Everything he told us between the three times came true. I know who will kill me, too."

"Who?" Yuffie begged to know. Vincent shook his head.

"If I tell you, you'll kill him or her. Once I reach Midgar, my job here will be over. When Kali and I leave here, I want the two of you to wait one or two days before following us. I'll leave a trail for you. Follow our trail exactly. Stop when we did and don't move until you've waited the same amount of time we did. I don't want you to catch up to us. When you each Midgar, then you can move at your own pace to find Kali. After I die, she's going to go into the ruins to find Kadaj. Whether she's with him or not, stick with her when you find her."

"I'll do it," Cid promised immediately. Yuffie nodded her agreement.

"Thank you both," Vincent muttered. "The only people you can tell are Reno and Rude. They already said that they'd help us if we needed it."

To be continued…

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Rollin', rollin', rollin', keep this fanfic rollin'… yep, it's update-update-update! I've been thinking of this section of the story ever since I started writing it, so the next chapter should be here right before or after Christmas. Also, from this chapter on, the story is 'R' rated. Now, for reviews:

**Leon K. Xavier:** Aw… thank you so much! My stories have been awesome and interesting… never been cool before… thanks! To be honest, I don't want to toot my own horn, but (honk honk!) this is probably the best story I've written. In my eyes, anyway.

**Meowwl:** LOL Yeah, I like plot twists.

**Merielle:** Yeah, Vincent will die. Maybe Kali will kill him, maybe she won't… actually, you can find out who it is by reading my 'teaser chapter' of the prequel (chapter 11).

**Kizna1200:** You didn't have to review; I know you're reading. But thanks! Yeah, Kali is pretty cool, huh? Actually, I think this story will only have maybe three or four OC's in it. But they'll be cool.

**Mediciner:** ((hug)) Yea! You're back! Vincent. Is. Awesome. I just love vampire-like men. Alas, he only has about two or three chapters left. As for your story, take your time. I should be doing that with this, but I have a good part of it planned out and want to get it down before I forget it all. Anyway, so glad you're back!

**NM:** You may have noticed the 'to be continued' at the bottom. At least, I'm hoping you did. About that… there may be several chapters done that way. Just so you know, I am NOT posting this story as two fics. To avoid chapters that are too short or too long, I am keeping all of the chapters of this story between 4000 and 5000 words, not including author notes. Any chapters that will take more than that will be split into two chapters, k?

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

NINJA MAGE


	6. Reunion Part 2

****

Chapter 6

Reunion Part 2

"I'll do it," Cid promised immediately. Yuffie nodded her agreement.

"Thank you both," Vincent muttered. "The only people you can tell are Reno and Rude. They already said that they'd help us if we needed it."

"No problem," Cid smiled. He finished his beer and sighed. They stood for a few minutes, staring up at the stars. The moon was still just beyond their sight on the other side of the house. Vincent finally turned to his friends.

"Cid, would you leave, please? I have some things to discuss with Yuffie," he whispered. Cid nodded and picked up the empty bottles.

"See you two in the morning," he said. "Oh, and if you fuck each other, keep it down, will you? Some of us actually like to sleep at night."

"Good _night_, Cid," Vincent said through his gritted teeth. Cid laughed and left, Vincent turning red as he listened to Yuffie giggling. "Oh, shut up, will you?"

"I'm sorry. He just makes me laugh sometimes."

"Or is the thought of you doing it with me?"

"Maybe a little of both," Yuffie muttered. She turned away from him and gazed at the moon as it showed itself to them. "I don't want you to die."

"Yuffie, I wish I could change it."

"Then tell me who's going to do it," she insisted. Vincent wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered an apology into her ear. "But why not?"

"Sephiroth says that… there are strong forces at work here. Something is going to happen to the planet soon, and it seems that I am not meant to see the outcome. Yuffie?"

"What?" she sighed as they sat. He held her tighter as he answered.

"No matter what happens, I love you. You don't know how odd it is for me to say that or how special you should feel. After her death, I didn't think I could love anyone but Lucrecia. Since you and I met, I've realized how wrong I was. I love you, Yuffie," Vincent whispered again. She leaned against him, their hands intertwined, and looked at the moon.

"Full moon tonight. Don't you have to feed?" she turned around to look at him. He stared from the moon to Yuffie. The look on his face told her to leave, but she stayed put.

"Yuffie…" he trailed off. Yuffie turned back around, took her seat between his legs again and tilted her head to her left shoulder.

"Bite me," she whispered, brushing the small hairs from her neck. She felt his warm breath on her skin and, for a moment, she thought she felt his heart racing against her back. As Yuffie barely felt the light touch of his canines, he pulled away and buried his face in her hair.

"Being bitten is painful. I don't want to put you through it."

"If you don't bite me, I'm not sleeping with you," Yuffie threatened jokingly. Vincent laughed.

"Do you really think I care about that?" he asked. "You'll die if I bite you."

"Are you sure?"

Yuffie winced a little as she pricked her finger on a piece of broken glass nearby. Before he could stop it, Vincent found the finger being laid on his lips. He licked the blood away and sharply took a breath.

"You're still a virgin."

"I promised myself a long time ago that I would lose it to you," she whispered as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "You know you want more of it."

"I'm going to wrap my coat around you. Stuff it in your mouth to stifle the scream."

"Okay."

"Ready?" he whispered. Yuffie tensed as he brought the coat around her like a tent and his canines brushed her skin. A moment later, she was screaming bloody murder into his coat, heard by only one person besides the two of them.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

While Vincent and Yuffie sat outside, Kali lie in bed, fast asleep. She didn't stir as the lock on her door was picked and a shadow crept in.

_Devin walks into Kali's bedroom…_

The shadow stole across the floor of her room and sat next to her on the bed.

_Devin kneels by Kali as she sleeps…_

The figure laid a hand on her face and stared at her. Had she opened her eyes then, Kali would have seen only two familiar eyes, the rest of the face hidden in shadow.

_He brushes a hand against her face, making her wake…_

"Kali," the thing muttered, staring at her full lips. Had Kali's ears been working, she would have recognized the voice.

_"Kali, wake up," Devin whispers…_

The person leaned in slowly to kiss her.

_Devin touches his lips to hers as she slowly wakes up…_

"Ah!" came Yuffie's muffled cry from outside.

"Uh," the shadow hissed, its lips mere millimeters from Kali's. It went to the window and watched the next scene unfold.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Vincent slowly pulled away and wiped the blood from his face. When he was cleaned up, he stared at Yuffie's limp form hunched in front of him. He turned her around and held her.

"Yuffie? Please, wake up," he whispered. He stared into her face; her skin was tight and pale with no blood in the veins. When she didn't stir, he laid a hand on her wrist to find a pulse. After finding none, he put his hand to her breast. No heartbeat. He shook angrily. "I didn't kill her. She's a virgin. Virgins don't die of vampire bites. I couldn't have," he muttered. Minutes passed. He finally looked back at her to find the color coming back to Yuffie's cheeks as she opened her eyes. He could feel her slow heartbeat returning.

"I'm a vampire now, right?" she whispered. Vincent nodded and smiled at her. Yuffie stood up, leaned against the railing, and stared at the moon. "But am I a half-breed or a full vampire?"

"Only time will tell," Vincent said as he, too, stood.

Yuffie approached him and laid a hand on his face. He held her hands and stared into her now red eyes for a moment before finally leaning in and kissing her slowly.

"Vincent…" Yuffie whispered. She laid a hand on his head and began to run it through his hair. As she did, Yuffie tried to pull back his bandana. His hand gripped her wrist immediately and he stared at her.

"No. Leave it be," he muttered. She shook her head and brought her other hand up. In one swift movement, she tore the bandana from his head. In the middle of his forehead was a rather ugly scar that seemed to have formed over a decent-sized hole. Vincent rubbed it nervously while Yuffie stared.

"That's where he shot you," Yuffie said in a knowing tone. He nodded weakly before she stood on her tiptoes and kissed the scar. He pushed her back down and pressed his lips to hers again.

A few minutes later, Yuffie went inside to sleep. Vincent stayed outside and watched the stars. As a sudden, long-forgotten urge took hold of him, he ran after the new vampire that he had created, dropped his coat in the hallway, and met her as she prepared to undress for bed. As he walked in, Vincent smiled at Yuffie and pulled off his shirt before walking up to her and assisting in the process of removing her bra.

While the two of them made love, Kali slept on a few doors down, the shadow watching her slow breathing. She had no way of knowing that this thing wanted to do with her what Vincent and Yuffie were doing now. When it was sure that the two lovers down the hall were occupied and no one would bother its work, the figure crept out of her room and went about its silent business. Nanaki awoke, thus frightening it once, but fell right back to sleep and so he didn't give chase. After searching each room of the manor thoroughly, it found what it wanted. With a wicked grin, it gripped the item it had stolen from Kali and slowly woke the target.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Vincent woke with a start. He sat up a little and looked around the room frantically, almost as if he had been having a nightmare that took place in the room he now lie in. With a relieved sigh, he laid back, pulled on the curtains next to the bed and glanced out the window to his left. The sky was a hazy, dark grey color. Dawn was coming slowly. He let go of the curtain and glanced at the beauty next to him. Yuffie was still fast asleep against his side, her arm lying just under his chest. He kissed the top of her head, but she still didn't stir. He smiled and stared up at the ceiling, slowly rubbing the scar on his head. As Yuffie rolled over in her sleep, he found some spots of blood on the blankets. With an aching feeling inside, he glanced at her back. There were a dozen scratches on it. He turned on his side and ran his gauntlet over them; they matched perfectly. But even as he watched, the scars faded.

"You're a half-breed," he whispered. "Just as I am."

"Vincent? Are you awake?" Yuffie moaned. She rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes slowly. Vincent stared at her breasts before pulling the blanket up to cover her cold body.

"It's still very early. Go back to sleep," he whispered. He kissed her softly. She smiled and closed her eyes again.

"How do you know? That I'm a half-breed, I mean."

"Your scratches heal slower than a true vampire's would. Now go to sleep."

As she fell back to unconsciousness, he wrapped an arm around her and lie in bed for several more minutes. Just as he was about to fall back into slumber himself, he heard a door open and close outside. He stayed still and waited. All he heard was the unsheathing of a sword and a quiet gasp. Vincent sat up immediately. His heart racing, he pulled on his pants and ran into the hall. He heard the noises coming from Cloud's quarters.

Giving the scars covering his torso a nervous rub, he went back into Yuffie's room and picked up his gun. Yuffie never moved. He put on his shirt and headband as he walked up to Cloud's door. As quietly as he could, Vincent cracked open the door and walked in, gun at the ready. Tifa was sound asleep on the far side of the bed. On the side closest to the door, Vincent could see Cloud's feet at one end and his head resting on the pillow. He had a mixed look of fear, pain, and shock on his face. As Vincent walked farther into the room, the black mass that had blocked his view of the rest of Cloud turned to face him. They stared at each other for a moment before it spoke.

"Vincent…" it muttered. Before Vincent could move, the shadow pulled out two daggers and ran past him. "She's mine! Leave her alone!" it hissed. Vincent moaned loudly in pain. As the figure left the room, it had roughly stuck one dagger into his side and the other into his leg.

Vincent watched the creature enter Kali's room as his eyes filled with tears. He took a couple more steps towards the bed before becoming wide-eyed with fear. He stared at what the thing had done to Cloud. As Tifa began to stir, Vincent limped out of the room as quickly as he could. He went to his charge's room and pushed open the door. It snapped shut as Tifa screamed shrilly. He looked at Kali's sleeping form. As he did, the shadow rose up from the far side of the bed and kissed her neck. As she moaned in her sleep, Vincent pulled out his silenced gun and shot it. The figure let out a painful yell, grabbed its arm, and ran to the open window. Before it jumped, it stared at Vincent. He saw two blue eyes and a flash of brown. Then the mysterious shadow was gone.

"Ah," Vincent gasped. The pain of his leg and side hit him full force once more. He fell to his knees as Kali awoke.

"Vincent?" she muttered sleepily. "I had the most wonderful dream about Devin."

"Kali, gather your things," he ordered shakily. He grabbed the dagger in his side and winced.

"Are you okay?" she inquired. She saw the weapons as he stood and she began to cry a little. "You're hurt."

"Do what I told you. Go! Now! We need to leave immediately!" he snapped, leaning painfully against the wall and locking the door. Vincent could hear the others waking and scrambling around. He closed his eyes and grabbed the dagger in his side again. He pulled it out quickly. "Ah!" he screamed. Kali winced at the sound, but finished getting dressed and packing.

"I can't find my sword," she called as he removed the one in his leg.

"Ah!" he screeched again. The dagger came out easily, blood pouring onto the floor. Vincent stood shakily and waited for the wounds to heal. "You won't. I know where it is."

"Would you get it for me?"  
"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because," he whispered. He looked at her as the blood on his leg finished drying, the muscles repaired themselves, and the flesh covered the injury again. "Cloud was just murdered with it."

"Oh, shit, no," Kali muttered, slapping a hand to her mouth.

"They'll accuse you. We need to go. Come on," Vincent commanded.

He grabbed her wrist and led her downstairs. Just as they reached the bottom of the main stairway, they were met by angry and sad faces. Cloud's body was laying on a table, a blanket covering him and his sword grasped in his hands. Next to him was the sword Vincent had bought Kali. She shook when she saw that it was covered in blood. Tifa stared.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" she said angrily. Tears were streaming down her face and her hands were curled into tight fists.

"We're leaving," Vincent replied as he stood between them and Kali.

"Cloud was just stabbed in his sleep and you're leaving?"

"You," Marlene pointed at Kali, "you killed him. How could you do that?"

"Even if I did kill him, would you blame me for wanting to? Cloud killed my father first, after all."

"So you admit it?" Nanaki growled.

"No! I didn't murder him! I swear!"

"Kali, be silent," Vincent told her. He turned to the others. "Kali didn't do it. I woke up, heard a noise coming from his room, and went to make sure it _wasn't_ her. When I went in, there was a cloaked figure standing over Cloud. When it moved, I saw that sword standing straight up through his chest and blood seeping from his stomach. The person stabbed me with two daggers and ran into Kali's room."

"So it could have been her!" Barret yelled. Vincent lost it.

"She didn't touch him! I went into her room, the shadow kissed her on the neck, I shot it, and it jumped out the window!"

"It what?" Kali whispered to him. Cid and Yuffie stared at them.

"Vincent, run," Yuffie begged. A gun clicked next to her. She turned to see Tifa aiming a pistol.

"Yuffie, don't make me do it. You're either with Sephiroth or us in this. You know that. We all know which side Vincent has chosen."

"Stop, Yuffie. This doesn't involve you," Vincent implored. She ignored him and stretched her arms.

"Go ahead," she whispered and closed her eyes. "I love him whether you trust him or not."

The next thirty seconds were fast and confusing to Kali. Tifa pressed the trigger and Kali watched as the bullet tore through Yuffie's chest. She screamed and fell backwards, drops of blood falling to the floor with her. Vincent yelled to her and took his pistol to Tifa. Before he could shoot, Barret changed his metal hand into a machine gun and shot nearly three-dozen rounds into Vincent. Kali leapt behind a pile of firewood nearby as Vincent's body convulsed with each bullet that hit. When Barret stopped, Vincent was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

Nobody moved except Kali; she shook violently. Cid barely took two steps towards his friend when Kali screamed Vincent's name and tore across the floor and knelt by him. Vincent's eyes were closed while blood poured from dozens of wounds. She looked up at Barret, holding her friend's head in her hands and everything he told her in her mother's house leaving her mind.

"You fucking bastard," she yelled through her tears. "You son of a bitch, you killed him!"

"Vincent?" Yuffie spoke. She sat up and stared at her injured lover. Tifa dropped her gun and glared. Yuffie smiled and pulled her shirt collar down while Barret approached Vincent and Kali.

"Well, guess what?" he growled. He aimed his gun-arm at her. "You'll be together again soon."

"Papa, wait!" Marlene yelled. Before he did anything, Vincent was opening his eyes.

"Do you really want to know what it's like to be shot to death?" Vincent hissed. He stood up, grabbed Barret by the collar, and stuck his pistol into his side. "Goodbye, Barret." He pulled the trigger. Kali watched as blood dripped from Barret's side.

"How…?" he gasped. He grabbed Vincent's torn shirt as he fell to the ground and died. As the shirt was torn away, everyone watched as the bullets popped out of his skin and fell with light pinging noises to the ground next to the body. The holes filled themselves in as Vincent watched his old friend. He looked up at Kali.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. Kali shook her head.

"Good. Let's go," he ordered. Tifa picked up the gun and aimed at them again.

"Stop. You're not leaving."

"Kali, run. You know where to go," he said. Kali looked at the people who stared at her and turned to Vincent. "I'll be with you soon. Don't be afraid."

"Goodbye," she muttered. He nodded and she ran as fast as she could.

As Kali ran towards the streets of Nibelheim, she listened as Tifa shot at her and Vincent at Tifa. When she reached the entrance of the city, she ran into the two people she would have least expected.

"Whoa, it's Kali!"

"Hello, young lady."

"Oh, Reno and Rude!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around the red-haired man. "Thank god! Vincent's still at the house. Cloud was killed last night and everyone thinks I did it, but I didn't. Vincent killed Barret just now because Barret tried to kill him first."

"Okay, okay, calm down. Where are you running to?" Reno asked, patting her on the back.

"Midgar," Kali answered. The two men looked at each other.

"Let's go," Rude shrugged. Reno nodded and grabbed the girl's shoulder.

"We could use the trip. Let's head out," he agreed. He led Kali to their bikes outside. "Can you ride a cycle?"

"No," Kali shook her head. Reno sighed.

"We'll have to take it slow, then. Wouldn't want you falling off now, would we?" he smiled.

"Could we hurry up, please?" she requested, taking a look at the town nervously.

"You can ride with me," Rude offered as he sat on his bike. "Mine has more room."

"I'll put your bags on mine," Reno added.

When they were ready, Kali sat in front of Rude. Reno got on his and tossed a rope to them.

"Just in case," he explained. Rude tied the rope securely around her and under the seat.

"I won't let you fall," Rude assured her. He wrapped an arm around her middle as he kicked the engine to life. At that moment, Vincent came tearing across the parking lot.

"Kali!" he yelled. Reno scooted as far up on his bike as he could while Vincent jumped on behind him. Tifa came around the corner and began shooting at all four of them. "Go!"

Reno and Rude tore across the countryside as fast as they could. Tifa stared after them. An old man approached her.

"I heard them say where they're going," he cackled. "I'll tell you if you'd be so kind as to give a tired old man some action."

"Oh, you'll tell me," she snapped, pointing the gun at him, "or I'll blow your head off."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali, are you sure you're not hurt?" Vincent asked. She shook her head.

"Mostly shaken and scared."

"How long do you think it'll be before they catch us?" Reno asked as he leaned against the cliff. They stopped just on the other side of Cosmo Canyon.

"If they bury Cloud and Barret before coming after us and then need to get supplies, I'd say…" Vincent thought a moment, "we have about one day's head start. Maybe less if they move through the night."

"Shit," Rude sighed. He stood straight, as was his habit. Kali stared at his discipline and couldn't help wondering if maybe he still believed the Turks were around; after all, neither Vincent nor Reno seemed to act this way anymore. The thought made her feel bad for him. She snapped out of her thoughts when Vincent began speaking again.

"Kali, I want you to keep with Rude. I'll stick with Reno. Rude, get Kali to Midgar as soon as you can. I mean it. Even if we fall behind, keep moving."

"Of course."

"What's out in Midgar, anyway?" Reno asked. "Its just ruins." Kali stepped away from the group and closed her eyes.

"My father's grave is out there. He wants me to go there and get his sword."

"Masamune," Rude muttered. Kali nodded.

"Yes. He wants me to get that and then find my brother."

"Your brother? Oh, Kadaj, right," Reno shook his head and smiled at Vincent. "How could I forget?"

"Reno, don't…" Vincent muttered. Kali stared at him.

"What?"

"He saved Kadaj's life," Rude explained. Vincent stared at him.

"It wasn't anything. Just my first step in moving away from Cloud's group."

"What happened?" Kali asked. Vincent shut his eyes and began to explain.

"I told you of how he tried to bring back your father seventeen years ago, right?"

"Because of Reunion, yeah," Kali confirmed.

"Kadaj was only seventeen then. My god, he must be in his thirties now."

"So what? Get on with what you were saying, please?" Kali insisted. Vincent chuckled and sighed.

"Sorry. Anyway, Cloud killed Loz and Yazoo, the two clones, first and then went after your brother. They were in the Sleeping Forest when they met. Cloud nearly killed him. When Kadaj was laying on the ground, a mere inch from death, and Cloud was about to dig Kadaj's own sword into his chest one last time, I showed up and confronted Cloud. I told him, "Although Kadaj is trying to bring Sephiroth back, he's still just a child. Can you truly justify killing someone so young?" Cloud stood and debated for a moment. I reminded him that Sephiroth was still Kadaj's father and that even I would do anything to bring my own back. Cloud threw Kadaj's sword to the ground and said that he would leave Kadaj to die, but if he lived and they met again, Cloud would waste no time in killing him. When Cloud was gone, I wrapped my cloak around Kadaj, picked him up and took him to the City of the Ancients nearby. I bound his wounds and gave him all the potions I had. I stayed with Kadaj until he was well enough to travel alone. While I bandaged him, he asked me why I was doing this. I only looked at him and said, "You're still young. You still have many good years ahead of you. I have already watched others only a little older than you die in combat that wasn't necessary. I can't bear to watch another perish." I never told him, but I wanted to keep him alive as long as I could. At the time, he was, after all, the only living relative of Lucrecia. I couldn't watch her grandson die the way I had her son."

"If you saved his life, why would he have killed you when we saw him last night?" Kali inquired. Reno and Rude stared at them.

"You saw him?" Reno repeated. Nobody answered.

"It is possible that he has forgotten. He was unconscious most of the time I cared for him. It is also possible that he would have thought I was going to go back on what I did for him and tell Cloud where he was so he would die. Kali, take care of your brother and make sure he takes care of you. I don't think I will be here much longer to care for you myself."

"What?" she gasped. "You can't die until that gauntlet is removed. You said so."

"The day that happens is not far off."

"No!" she yelled. "You can't die."

"Quiet!" he snapped suddenly. They listened as a motorcycle came towards them. "Get ready."

"Vincent!" came a voice. Yuffie and Cid were coming over a hill on a large motorcycle. As the two of them got off, Reno and Yuffie stared at each other. "Hello, Reno," she said quietly. He nodded his greeting.

"You didn't think we were going to let you go out by yourself, did you?" Cid grinned. Vincent sighed and punched Cid in the stomach. "Ouch!"

"You scared the piss out of us!" he yelled. Cid laughed weakly.

"Guess I deserved that, huh? So are we going to Midgar or what?"

"Let's hurry there," Vincent ordered. Yuffie stared at him sadly.

"Vincent, I don't want you to-"

"I said let's hurry. We don't have much time before Tifa comes after us. Yuffie and Cid ride together. I'll go with Reno. Rude, you take Kali. You two can head out now. We'll be along in a minute."

"Vincent, I'm not leaving you," Kali said through gritted teeth.

"Kali, I'll see you in Midgar. I promise. You can't get the sword until I am there, anyway."

"What do you mean?" she asked. As she fell silent, they heard engines a short way off.

"Tifa," Rude muttered. They all hurried to their bikes and scooted off as Tifa and Marlene came over the hill, Nanaki running alongside. They took off after their prey.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Yea! Cloud's dead! Celebrate!

**Crickets:** A-chirpin.

**NM:** Um… yeah. Anyway, no disclaimers. Except that I don't own anything from FF7 except Kali and Devin because, well, they're OC. And I hope you see now why this is R. Oh, and if you were confused, in the part with italics every other line, the italics are Kali's dream and the regular is what's actually happening in the story. Reviews:

**Merielle:** Yeah, I liked it. As for the shadow thing, you may get a hint from the dream section. I'll tell what it is later, but it will be a little while.

**Kizna1200:** …maybe Tifa kills him, maybe not. Well, you read my other story, so of course you'll know! ((sigh)) As for the Lucrecia being Seph's mom, I don't even know the whole story. Once I reach that part of the game (yeah, I shouldn't even know about that), I'll have a part where Kadaj or someone like that explains to Kali. What I do know: Lucrecia and Hojo were working together on the Jenova Project. They needed a baby for the experiment, so Hojo impregnated Lucrecia. Actually, Lucrecia is only Seph's _birth_ mother. His biological mother is Jenova, because Hojo (I guess this is how he did it) replaced Lucrecia's genes with Jenova's, so Sephy-chan won't be very much like Lucrecia. That's all I know. Sorry if I spoiled the game for you.

**Mediciner:** I agree with the biting part. I like your story idea; Go for it! (BTW, you stink. I didn't get CoM for Xmas…)

I hope everyone had a happy holiday! This update is my gift to all of you!

NINJA MAGE


	7. Guardian Angels

****

Chapter 7

Guardian Angels

"Vincent, we have a problem!" Yuffie yelled over the roar of the bikes. Tifa, Marlene, and Nanaki were coming up fast.

"Rude! Give this to Kali!" Vincent called. He pulled Kali's gun out of her bag and tossed it to them. Rude caught it and laid it in Kali's hands. "Hold on to it tight!" Vincent cautioned.

"Split up!" Reno exclaimed. He and Vincent kept their path while Yuffie and Cid went to the right and Rude tore off to the left, Kali nearly falling off. He grabbed her just in time.

"I told you I won't let you fall," he reassured her. Kali hunched over and closed her eyes. A growl to her right made her open them and scream.

"I told Vincent that I would not tell Cloud and I kept that promise. I did not promise not to harm you should you harm one of us," Nanaki growled.

He bit at her, but only got a mouthful of her coat and bracer. She yelled and shakily fired the gun. It hit his ear, releasing a painful howl from the animal, but he still ran fast and nearly bit her hand off. Rude turned sharply, causing Nanaki to lose balance and fall over. As he turned, the rope's knot came loose and Kali fell to the ground.

"Rude, help!" she cried. She stood and began running after him, but Nanaki was too fast; he grabbed her coat and brought her down. He began scratching her to ribbons. "No!"

"Kali!" Rude yelled. He was coming back towards her and had a small pistol in his hand. He shot by Nanaki so he would let go. Rude came up next to them, pulled the bleeding girl up, and held her in front of him. Nanaki came tearing after them. Kali managed to shoot one or two more rounds before the gun clicked weakly.

"I'm out!"

"No, there's a bullet stuck," he said in her ear. Kali tried to get the bullet free, while Nanaki leapt in front of them. Rude swerved to avoid hitting him, but they hit a rock and both fell to the ground.

"Ouchies," Kali moaned. She tried to move her legs, but they were stuck under the cycle. She glanced over at Rude, who lay next to her with his gun in his hands. "You okay?"

"Fine, you?"

"Do I _look_ okay?"

"RAR!" Nanaki was leaping upon them, claws out and teeth bared. Kali covered her head with her arm, but she knew that this was it. She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do…

"No!" Rude snapped, almost as if he was reading her mind. He pulled out his gun and shot Nanaki in the head. Kali screamed as she watched blood squirt from his temple. She could have sworn a piece of his brain was thrown from the head, as well. He landed on top of her, a furry, dead heap.

"Rude… Get. Him. Off!" she gasped. He threw Nanaki aside and pulled the cycle off of her while Kali turned away and violently threw up. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I won't tell anyone that you got sick."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Rude and Kali rode peacefully for another six hours before they stopped by a river to calm Kali's stomach and eat. Neither of them spoke much. Rude did fix her gun, however. As they got ready to leave, they heard motorcycles approaching. With their weapons ready, they watched as two bikes came over the hill. Upon them were Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, and Reno. They stopped by Rude and Kali.

"Vincent," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him. She noticed Yuffie watching her. "What? Am I making you jealous?"

"No, not at all. You're hurt," she pointed out. Indeed, Kali was torn up pretty badly. She had cuts on her face and hands, and her clothes were torn, revealing deep gashes in her stomach and chest. Although it had been several hours, some places were still bleeding.

"I'll be fine," she insisted. She walked a few steps, but her injured legs gave out. Rude caught her as she fell.

"Why haven't you bound her wounds?" Vincent asked him.

"Reno has all of the first aid."

"Oh, right," Reno grinned embarrassedly.

"I think we should divvy up the first aid in case this happens again. As for you," Vincent began as he looked at Kali. "We're not going to do anymore traveling today. Tifa and Marlene aren't in any condition to fight, so we can spare a little time. We'll rest there," he pointed at a cave nearby.

"Nanaki isn't in fighting condition either," Kali added. "He's dead."

"Poor Nanaki," Yuffie gasped. "I suppose he was the one who did this to you, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll make sure there aren't any monsters in there so we can rest," Cid offered. Rude turned to him.

"I'll help," he said. The two of them went in and came out a few minutes later with news that the cave was all clear. They rolled the motorcycles into their temporary hideout and built a fire.

"Kali, come here so I can get you cleaned up," Vincent ordered. He turned to Cid. "Would you go to the river and get some water?"

"Sure. Be back in a flash."

"Come into here," Vincent said, turning to Kali. They went into a small part of the cave that was out of sight of their friends. "Take off your clothes."

"_What_?" she cried.

"At least I made you come where nobody's going to see you. Do you want your wounds bound or not?" he asked forcefully. She only stood there. He sighed, "Kali, I assure you, I'm not going to take advantage or anything. I spent the past fifteen years living with your mother and not _once_ did I ever even think about taking advantage. Kali, you can trust me. You could die if you don't bandage your wounds immediately."

"Can't I just drink potions?"

"Your wounds are too deep. They won't heal with potion alone."

Kali thought a moment and began taking her clothes off. When Cid came with the water, she wrapped up in Vincent's coat to hide her nakedness. After he left, she laid on a rock while Vincent washed the blood away and cleaned the cuts with alcohol. He had to leave several times to regain control upon seeing the blood, but he slowly fixed her up. As he finished bandaging her wounds, she spoke quietly.

"Vincent, I think my daddy's visited me before."

"I am glad. Has he brought good news?" he asked, somewhat taken aback by this statement. She shook her head.

"No. He's never spoken. And he never took me to the Lifestream," she whispered. Vincent stopped and looked up at her slowly.

"Kali?"

"When I was a little girl, I used to wake up in the middle of the night whenever I had a nightmare. When I did, I would sit up and start crying. Every time, without fail, I would look towards my closet and there would be a man standing there. He wore black pants, no shirt, and a black coat and armor, both of which he took off once he got there, and had long silver hair and eyes like mine, except they were green instead of grey. I never knew who he was, he never told me his name, but any night I would have a bad dream, he walked… no," she corrected herself, "he sort of glided over to my bed and sat- no, hovered, next to me. Most nights, he would lie- er, float, by me and try to hold me.

"The first time I saw him, I was around three years old, and I was frightened. When he laid next to me and laid an arm over me, I reached my own hand out and touched his chest. My hand went through. I was afraid of ghosts back then, but I felt warm and comfortable around him. After a few minutes, I started to talk to him. 'Are you dead?' I asked. He nodded slowly. 'Are you a ghost?' He nodded, but then got one of those looks on his face like he was thinking and shook it. 'What are you?' I wondered. When I asked that, he stood, turned, and I could see two wings on his back. One was black and a bird's, but the other was white and a dragon's. 'Are you an angel? Are you my guardian angel?' When I said that, he hesitated a moment, smiled, and nodded. He pulled a pad of paper out of his pocket and wrote something. I told him it was no use; I couldn't read at the time. He looked sad when I said that. He tore off the paper and put it in one of my drawers. When I learned to read, I pulled it out. It said, 'I am neither an angel nor a demon. I am what I am: dead and gone. But I am always your father and will always watch over you.' When I read that, I thought it was a joke. My father was dead.

"A few nights after I read it, I woke up again. I had dreamed about my angel. He was right there with me when I awoke, as always. When I was trying to fall back to sleep, he laid a hand on me and showed me things."

"Like what?" Vincent inquired.

"Another world. One with monsters and a giant rock of fire that fell from the sky and nearly wiped all the people out. I watched my angel standing there, smiling and watching the rock, except he wasn't my angel. I held his hand tightly while the man who looked like him laughed. He was standing over a woman in a pink dress. She was bleeding badly. After that, he took me home and I went to sleep. He came back each night for years. I soon realized that it wasn't just when I had nightmares that he came. Some nights, I would wake up for no reason and he would be at the foot of my bed, watching. He never came before midnight and left just before dawn."

"How do you know when he came and left?"

"Once, I had a dream right after I went to bed and I woke up just before midnight. He wasn't there. I waited, crying the whole time, and as the clock struck midnight, I looked over at my closet just as he was walking through the doors. He saw that I was up and crying, so he came and wrapped an arm around me as usual. That same night, I only pretended to fall back to sleep. I laid there all night and we watched each other. As dawn came, I watched him come up, brush my hair out of my face, and kiss me on the forehead before he went back to the closet. When he was gone, I went in to find how he came and went, but found nothing except my clothes and toys. I did that a few other nights, and it was always the same: he came at midnight and left at dawn."

"I'm done binding your wounds. Does he still come to you?" he asked curiously as she sat up. Kali became a little teary-eyed and she looked at the ground.

"When I was about seven, maybe eight years old, I had a horrible dream. My angel was in trouble. He was fighting a demon or monster or something like that and he lost. I watched the creature tear off my angel's white wing. He started to bleed and scream. In his screams I heard him crying, 'No, I won't let you take her! You aren't going to harm my daughter! I won't let you, you fucking bitch!' He turned to me and told me to run, but I shook my head. 'Kali, please, run,' he pleaded over and over again. The monster came after him and called him the 'One-Winged Angel.' He yelled that he wasn't anymore, that that life was over. He told the monster that he loved his daughter and would do anything to protect her, that she would never lay a hand on Kali. The beast insisted that he was the One-Winged Angel, full of hate, anger and selfishness, and drove a sword through his chest. He fell back next to me and whispered, 'I'm sorry, Kali. I love you, my daughter.' I watched my angel die then. When I looked up, the monster came upon me with the weapon.

"I woke up before it hurt me and I started crying and shaking. I looked around but my angel wasn't there, even though it was around two in the morning. I got up and wandered the building, looking for him. When I didn't find him, I went into the sunroom and hid there. Madame Sharmila was in a panic. Nobody thought to look for me there. While I hid, I prayed that my guardian angel would find me, that whoever was meant to look after me would come," she said quietly. Her eyes widened slightly and a few tears dripped down her cheeks. "Devin was the only one who thought to look there. He wasn't even supposed to be looking, only the teenagers and Sharmila. When he found me, we hadn't known each other very well and weren't very close. When he came, I said, 'Devin, you came to my prayers! You're my guardian angel. You have to protect me through everything.' He was older than I, so now I think he was just trying to humor me, but he said he would. He and I became so close after that. God, I miss him," she sobbed. She wrapped her arms around Vincent and cried. He hesitated and began to pull back, as she was still only in her under clothes, but he gently wrapped his arms around her.

"So that's how you got the wings tattooed, right?"

"Yes. I remembered those wings and wanted them on me as a remembrance of my fallen angel. Now that I've seen what he looks like and who he is, I'm sure that angel was my father."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I never thought about it much. After Devin became my replacement angel, I stopped believing in my old one. He never came back after that dream. I was so young when he visited; I'm amazed I remember at all. You're the only person I've ever told about my angel. Vincent, I want to go home."

"I know, Kal. I know, and I'm sorry I ever brought you here," he muttered. She had been leaning against him, but now she sat up.

"You called me 'Kal.'"

"You don't like that name?"

"I don't care if you call me that. It's just… Devin used that name a lot."

"I guess I won't call you that then."

"No, it's okay. I feel good thinking about him," she whispered.

"Vincent! Kali! Are you two hungry?" Yuffie yelled. She walked in a moment later but turned away when she saw that Kali wasn't dressed. "Sorry."

"Oh, I guess I need to put on my clothes, huh?" Kali apologized and got dressed.

"How long have we been in here?" Vincent asked. Yuffie thought.

"Five hours, give or take."

"That long? Wow," Vincent sighed.

"Well, you did have to leave several times to take control of your instincts," Yuffie reminded him. Kali approached them as she tied her bracers.

"I'm actually still hungry," she said. Yuffie smiled and told them to come and eat. Kali stopped Vincent. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you for everything," she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She picked up her coat and carried it out to where the others were sitting. Vincent only stared after her and smiled.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Reno woke up suddenly. He listened to the footsteps walking across the ground and rolled over to find Yuffie going into the room where Vincent had healed Kali. Looking around and rubbing his bare stomach, he saw that Vincent wasn't there, either. Reno stood silently, his jacket slipping down from around his chest, and approached the room. He pulled down the sleeves of his shirt; the cave was colder than he thought. He peered in to see the two of them arguing while Vincent packed up the first aid kit.

"Vincent, please don't go to Midgar," Yuffie begged. Reno could tell that she was crying.

"If I don't, the planet will surely die."

"How can you say that?" she cried. "Kali is Sephiroth's daughter! Don't tell me she doesn't have the same power as him. Surely she can get along without that sword."

"Yuffie, when I am gone, I want you to take care of her for as long as you can."

"No. You're not going to die, so I'm not going to have to."

"Yuffie-"

"No! I'm not just going to stand by and watch you get killed! I can't do that! I love you too damn much!" Yuffie snapped. Reno could see her tears clearly now. Vincent put down the kit and wrapped his arms around Yuffie. "Why do you want so badly for your life to end?"

"Calm down, just calm down," he whispered. She only sobbed into his coat. Vincent pushed her away a little and looked her in the eyes. "Yuffie, I love you. For the past fifteen years, my heart has ached with the knowledge that you were dead. Now that I know you are alive, I don't _want_ to die. But you must understand, something is happening to our world. You are meant to see more of it than I, hopefully the outcome included. I am meant only to see Sephiroth's grave once more and provide a way for him to know when to send the sword to Kali. I cannot disrupt fate."

"No, there must be another way."

"Yuffie…" he sighed. "There is not. I'm so sorry." She only sobbed harder. "I love you," Vincent said again.

"And I love you," she replied. Reno watched Vincent hold her face in his hands and kiss her. Reno closed his eyes and went back to the camp when they began to take off each other's clothes.

"And _I_ love you, Yuffie," he muttered, looking back towards where they were. He turned, stood by the dying fire, and surveyed those that remained asleep.

Cid was fast asleep in a sleeping bag, snoring loudly. Reno then realized that it was the noise that had woken him up. Rude was in another bag, sleeping just as soundly. Reno stared at him; it was odd for him to see Rude without his glasses on. They lie next to him while he slept. A movement a few feet away made him jump, but it was only Kali changing her position while she slept. Reno remembered Vincent telling him that Kali moved in her sleep a lot; he had been right. He walked over, knelt down, and gently picked up the necklace from around her neck. She opened her eyes as the chain's movement tickled her.

"Reno? What's wrong?" she muttered sleepily.

"Just admiring your necklace. Go to sleep. Good night," he said, letting it rest upon her chest again.

As she rolled onto her side to sleep, Reno went over and leaned against the entrance, staring out into the field. He lit a cigarette and stood silently. He yawned several times, eventually sitting on the floor. When his cigarette went out, he was dozing where he rested. He eventually fell over and woke up. Shaking his head and feeling stupid, he threw the butt outside and returned to his bag. He fell asleep uneasily, trying not to imagine what Vincent and Yuffie were doing now.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Rude, go as fast as you can," Vincent insisted. "When you get to Midgar, you must leave Kali at the grave alone. She'll be fine. I'll be along shortly. All of you meet up somewhere, probably near the ruins will be best. Wait until Tifa and Marlene are well out of sight. Then you all may come up."

"What do we do after your death?" Yuffie asked.

"Find Kadaj."

"How? I don't thin he's going to just be sitting there. He's probably going to keep moving since he most likely doesn't know Cloud is dead," Reno reminded them. Vincent thought a moment.

"There's still a train that runs through Midgar," Cid suggested. "We can find him faster if we take that. Then we can use the cycles if we have to."

"That will work. Everyone ready? You all know the paths you are to take?" Vincent asked. Everyone nodded. He turned to Kali. "Take care of yourself. We'll meet again soon."

"Yeah," she agreed. Deep down, she knew that the end was drawing ever closer for him. Kali got on the motorcycle with Rude and they began to drive away. She looked back at the other four and cried as they went out of her sight.

They rode through the country quickly. Kali found herself glad that there were no police here; she was sure that they would have been pulled over for speeding. By seven in the evening, they were at the coast. Rude quickly bought two tickets for them while Kali gazed about. Noticing a street performer that was performing fire tricks, she walked into the crowd.

"Kali?" Rude called over his shoulder. No answer. He began yelling her name, but received no reply. "Shit, I'm going to kill that girl one of these days."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali gazed at the performer curiously. He was swallowing the flames, juggling torches, and walking on coal.

"Excuse me," said a quiet voice next to her. A man in a black cloak squeezed past her and watched the performer as he juggled, the shadow of his hood only allowing her to see from his nose down clearly. She looked up at him silently. After a moment, he noticed and glanced down at her himself. She turned away quickly, aware that he was watching. He gazed a moment longer before he began walking in the opposite direction.

"Kadaj…" she said under her breath. She watched her brother walk off into the crowd. She was tearing after him a moment later as a cry rang through the town.

"You! Kali! Get back here!" came Marlene's cry. Kali ran the way she came; the same way Kadaj had gone. Another cry filled the streets, although it was fainter than the first.

"That's Kadaj! Get him!" Tifa was screaming.

"Rude! Help!" Kali yelled. She glanced over her back to find Marlene, as did her brother to find Tifa. That was a mistake on both parts; they collided head-on and landed hard on their butts. "Ouchies!"

"Ouch!" yelled the man.

They sat rubbing their heads and bottoms for a second before looking up at each other. Kali was shaking. Kadaj's hood had slipped off his head partially, revealing silver hair that reached his shoulders and bright green eyes like those her angel had. He stared at her nervously and panted. He never noticed the necklace, for it the pendant had fallen under her collar as she ran and he was too occupied with the eyes. As Tifa came up behind him, he stood, stared for another second, replaced the hood, and took off through the people who were beginning to panic. Kali watched him run as Rude came up and grabbed her, making her jump.

"Don't _ever_ run off like that again! You could have been hurt! I was worried sick! Let's go! The boat is leaving!" he yelled. Kali was taken aback; this was the most and the loudest he had ever spoken at one time during her time here. Something told her not to disobey, so she leapt up and ran with him to the ship.

They had just boarded, the gangplank having risen halfway, when Tifa and Marlene came up. The two groups shot death glares at each other. The two women turned and left as the ship went out of sight. Kali and Rude went to their rooms silently. She looked at Rude as they parted.

"Rude? Thank you, and I'm sorry I ran off. It won't happen again," she whispered. He smiled a little, another first for him around Kali, and nodded his 'you're welcome' and acceptance of the apology. He turned away and walked down the hall a moment later.

Kali turned to her room and took a glance down the opposite way. The black-cloaked man was there, going into another room. He saw her staring and both froze. Neither person moved. He finally closed his door and began walking quickly towards her. Panic seizing her, Kali ran into her room and locked the door. He knocked for several minutes, but she refused to open the door. He finally left, allowing Kali to peacefully sit on her bed, put on her headphones, and listen to Marilyn Manson's cussing through them. Kali finally turned it off and tried to sleep.

While she dozed peacefully, the moonlight shining through the porthole, a shadowy figure picked the lock and walked in. He sat on her bed and stared at her, just as it had done at Cloud's home. He laid a hand on her face again. This time, there was a tourniquet wrapped around his lower arm. He whispered her name before he leaned in to kiss Kali again. This time, it succeeded. As it kissed, Kali was dreaming that dream again, the one where she was sleeping soundly when Devin walked in and kissed her, thus waking her up. She didn't know that the dream was really happening, except it was a shadow kissing her instead of her friend and she wasn't waking up as quickly. Kali sighed as the shadow pulled away. She slowly opened her eyes while the person kissed her again. She stared at the hidden face in front of her for a moment, unsure of what to do. The person pulled away and they watched each other silently.

"You know what? I don't know who you are, but I know this has to be dream, so I'm just going to go with it, okay?" she whispered, a smile growing on the mouth of the 'dream'. She closed her eyes and fell back to sleep, shivering slightly as the person laid his hand on her breast. He kissed her passionately once again. He began to pull her pants off when another figure walked into the room. Rude stood in the doorway, shirt off and a frown on his face. He glared from her pants, now halfway down her rear, to the shadow. He pulled out his pistol and aimed at the intruder.

"Put her pants back where they should be and get out. If I find anything white on the sheets, you're dead," he said quietly. The hooded figure replaced her clothes, stood, and walked calmly past Rude. In a flash, he had two daggers out and stuck them into Rude's back. Kali woke up at his scream of pain while the shadow ran away to the deck.

"Rude? Oh, my fucking god," she said shakily when she saw him laying on the floor and groaning in pain. "Help! Someone, get a doctor!" she yelled into the hall. Kadaj heard the scream, looked out the door and saw Rude on the floor and heard the girl's panicking cries. He promptly picked up the phone in his room and dialed the doctor.

The medics were there within minutes. When Rude was on his way to the hospital wing, Kali locked her door, put a folding chair against the handle so nobody could enter, and laid back down, tears staining her face as she thought about the shadow and her guardian, now having the weapons surgically removed.

"That thing is what killed Cloud and it just tried to screw me," she muttered. She closed her eyes. "My father failed as my guardian angel. Devin is no longer here to protect me. Vincent will die within the next few days. Rude was my fourth and he's dying. Please, God, don't waste anymore of your angels on this poor girl. You don't need to lose every soul up there to her."

Kali fell asleep slowly and uneasily. As she slept, the shadow was standing on the deck of the ship right above her. His hood was back, allowing his brown hair to blow in the wind. He put it back and ran to the shadows as another figure cloaked in black took his place. This new one lowered the hood and stared at the moon silently, the light shining off of his silver hair. He whispered into the night, unheard by any but himself and the hiding shadow.

"Who is she? Why is she with Rude? And," he glanced at the waves, "why does she have my father's eyes?"

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Wow, the longest chapter so far, and yet I wrote it in about five or six hours... Okay, about Rude: 1) He is not going to die; 2) Sorry if he's too chatty! But you have to admit, it would be a pretty boring story if there was no dialogue in the scenes with just those two. Also, the Shadow will be revealed after a few more chapters. I hope. Also (I need to stop using that word), Kadaj and Kali will finally have a proper introduction after the next chapter or two. No, the shadow and Kadaj aren't friends, although they will meet eventually. The angel thing was also a spur-of-the moment idea. Did you all like it? Reviews:

**Merielle:** Yep, Cloud's gone. Never to come back. And remember to stay quiet about you-know-what. Please?

**NM:** I say again… (I love sarcasm!) Oh, how hard I worked to answer those reviews… HINT! HINT!

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	8. Panic

****

Chapter 8

Panic

Kali awoke early the next morning, the past night's events almost disappearing completely from her mind. She sat up and suddenly remembered the shadow. With an aching inside, she looked over at the door. There were bloodstains just underneath it. She quickly leapt out of bed, dressed, and walked into the hall. She glanced around as she put on her gloves and saw a doctor walking past.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what happened to my friend?"

"Your friend?" he repeated.

"Yes," she nodded. "He was taken to the hospital wing last night. He had two daggers in his back."

"Oh, him. Yes, I just went to check on him. He's back in his room resting. He's just fine," the doctor explained.

"Thank you, sir," Kali bowed happily.

The medic smiled and walked away as she ran towards Rude's room. She knocked slowly and walked in to find Rude lying in bed, propped up on some pillows, arms crossed, and staring angrily at the wall where the foot of his bed was.

"Good morning," he muttered. She stared; he wasn't wearing his glasses. He turned to her silently, allowing her to see his dark brown eyes. "Get me my glasses, would you?"

"Sure," she replied. Kali picked them up from the table across the room and handed them to him. "Your eyes are pretty. Why do you hide them?" she asked as he put the sunglasses on.

"Ever heard the saying 'shoot when you see the whites of their eyes?'" he said quietly, crossing his arms again.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm still alive," he whispered, his hands finally resting by his sides. Rude glanced at her "Are _you_ okay? That person didn't come back, did he?"

"Person?" She thought a moment. "Oh, him. No, I don't think so."

"Good. Vincent wouldn't forgive me if you got raped."

"I can take care of myself. I can fight, and there's only one person I would ever let touch me in that way, but he's not here," she said a little sadly. She stood as Rude yawned. "I should let you sleep."

"Wake me when we land," he muttered. He threw all but two of the pillows to the ground. He shoved one under his back as he slid farther under the blankets. He was asleep within seconds. Kali gently laid his glasses on the nightstand, well within his reach of course, and wrapped the blankets around his shoulders. Kali silently walked out of the room and, at request of her growling stomach, made her way to the Mess Hall.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I just want a plate of pancakes and sausage, please," she said to the waiter as he handed her a menu.

"Anything to drink?"

"Milk, please."

When he was gone, Kali turned to the book of four novellas in her hands, _Four Past Midnight_. She was nervously trying to figure out who Shooter was in _Secret Window, Secret Garden_ when the waiter was back with her breakfast. She continued reading as she ate, a habit she had grown over the past few years, completely ignoring the people around her. She paid little mind to the children running past, and paid no mind at all to the honeymooners making out a few tables away. She never even noticed when the hooded man walked into the dining room. He glanced at her silently as he passed before requesting a table. The waiter spoke with him a moment before coming back to Kali.

"Miss?"

"Hmm?" she sighed, taking the slightest glance from her book.

"I'm sorry to bother you miss, but we have run out of tables. Would you object to sharing yours?" he said quietly. She shook her head.

"I don't mind at all," she replied politely before returning to her place in the story. The book hid the lower half of her face and the necklace as the stranger took a seat. He silently looked over the menu and ordered before staring at her.

"We meet again," he whispered when the waiter was out of earshot. Kali stopped reading and shot a quick look across the table. Kadaj was staring at her from under the hood, his eyes hidden as they always were. After a moment, she hid her entire face in the book, her body shaking terribly, and her hand grasping the pendant around her neck.

_I mustn't let him see this yet,_ she thought. He noticed her trembling and gave her a sideways look.

"What is the matter? You don't need to be afraid. All I want to know is your name and," he took a few glances around the room before lowering his voice, "I would like to know your relationship with the man Sephiroth."

"Pardon?" she muttered before she could stop herself.

"Young miss, I have seen your eyes. They are the same as his were, but grey instead of green. Please, I wish only to know this and I will not bother you again," he pleaded. He stretched out a gloved hand and laid it upon her bare shoulder. It felt oddly familiar…

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know what you're taking about," she said shakily, laying enough gil to pay for breakfast on the table. Kali stood, closed the book, picked up her coat, and turned to leave.

"Please, don't go," he begged, standing to follow. Kali glanced over her shoulder.

"This is neither the time nor the place. Later," she whispered. Kadaj watched her leave the room, never even suspecting that she was his sister.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali stood by the sink in her room, her face dripping with the water she had just splashed on it. She stared silently at her reflection in the mirror.

"I want to tell Kadaj who I am," she finally whispered. Her thoughts turned to when he touched her arm. She muttered, "It felt almost like that shadow. He doesn't know we're related, so it's possible. They even wear the same color cloak and gloves… But he couldn't have…"

She sighed as she lie on her bed. In only a few short minutes, she began to doze. After about an hour, she sat up at a noise by her door. Somebody was picking the lock. Panicking, she ran to the door and peered out through a little hole in it. There was a figure in a black coat, his features hidden. Kali's heart began racing as she thought of what to do.

She looked at the small closet; no room for much more than clothes, and whoever was out there would surely search the room. Kali glanced at the porthole, but knew it was hopeless; even if she did manage to knock out the nearly impenetrable glass, she was still stuck. The window seemed to be too small for her to jump through; if she did fit, she would either have to hold onto the edge and give whoever this was the opportunity to loosen her grip and drop her or dive into the water in the first place and be stranded (not to mention the risk of further injury to Rude when Vincent found out that she was lost). With a sinking feeling, she knew she was trapped. Unless…

Thinking quickly, she pulled on her coat and stuffed the pistol into her belt. She packed her bag quickly and laid a hand on the doorknob. As she listened to the door unlock, she threw it open. The person, surprised, was slammed between the wall and door. Kali took off down the hall as fast as she could towards Rude's room. She listened to a voice calling her, and knew it was the figure that had picked the lock. She could hear loud footsteps following behind her. She didn't care whether it was her brother or not; she laid a hand comfortingly on the gun. As she reached her destination, she felt a hand on her shoulder. In a flash, she whipped out the gun and pointed it at…

"Look, kid, if you don't want to talk to me, I don't care," Kadaj said, hands held up in surprise and fear. "Just tell me you don't want me around. You don't have to pull a gun on me."

"Sorry," she said, lowering the weapon slightly. She kept her eyes focused on the other cloaked figure coming down the hall and whispered, "I'm being stalked by someone other than you. He's chasing me."

"Hmm. Get in this room," Kadaj said, pushing her in as he saw the man. "I'll get him off your back."

"Thanks," she muttered as he shut the door. They stared at each other's eyes for a second before he disappeared on the other side. Kali locked it and turned to Rude. He was still asleep. She gave him a hard shake as she listened to the screams outside and the clashing of metal blades. Rude must have heard it, too, because as they gave a particularly loud clanging noise, his eyes snapped open and he was sitting straight up.

"What's wrong?" he asked when he saw Kali with her bags. He slipped on his glasses.

"That shadow thing came back just now and Kadaj is fighting him."

"Kadaj? Did you two speak?"

"Only briefly. We literally ran into each other at the docks and just now he said he'd get the stalker off my back."

"Damn it. We need to go."

"How? They're right outside and we don't land until tonight."

"We try," Rude said. He got out of bed, wincing at the pain in his back, and picked up his shirt. Kali watched him cover his bandaged torso with the dress shirt and blue jacket, wondering the whole time how they could possibly escape. She stared sadly at the bloodstains that had seeped through the bandages, her heart aching with the knowledge that she had caused them. He picked up his bag and cocked his pistol. "Let's go."

"Where?" she asked shakily.

"We're getting off," he said quietly.

"What? How?" she gasped.

He ignored her and opened the door silently. When he did, a scene of confusion and pandemonium met their eyes. People were running around in fear and screaming. The two of them ran down the hall towards where the motorcycles and cars were stored, opposite of where most people were going. As they ran, Kali looked over to find Kadaj leaning against the wall, a dagger stuck in his side.

"Oh, no," she moaned. When she tried to reach him and offer comfort, Rude grabbed her shoulder and pulled her along.

"He shouldn't have seen you before in the first place," he muttered. Kali watched tearfully as her brother knelt to the ground in pain, eventually wincing at his scream as he pulled it out. Before she knew it, they were locking themselves in the room with the vehicles.

"How will these help us?" she inquired. Rude approached his bike and shot the lock off.

"I like this bike."

"So? How will we take it with us?"

"Wait until we get on deck."

"How will we get up there with this thing?" she said, her voice full of exasperation. Rude pointed to a lift on the other side of the room. She smiled. "That will work."

Within minutes, they were on the deck with the cycle. Before Kali could say anything, Rude was going to the edge and throwing their only means of escape overboard.

"What are you doing?" she yelled. He watched the bike go under. "I thought you liked that bike!"

"Wait," he said quietly. She watched in amazement as the bike came up. The tires had turned so that they were horizontal instead of vertical, thus allowing the bike to float. In the distance, Kali could see the shore.

"This bike was made so that if it was in water, it turned into a jet ski," he explained as he climbed over the railing. He leapt over, landed in the water next to the escape vehicle, and pulled himself on. As Kali prepared to jump, something grabbed her leg. Turning around, she saw the figure that had tried to rape her and screamed.

"Rude, it's him! The guy that was in my room last night! Help!" she cried as he held her upside down over the waves. Rude looked up and aimed the gun, but he hesitated. If he shot, the thing would surely drop her.

"What do you want?" he yelled up to it.

"Her," he whispered just loud enough for Rude to hear. Kali furrowed her brow. She had heard that voice before…

Rude shot him before he said more and Kali had no more time to think, for she was falling towards the water. Rude tried to catch her, but he was too far over. She fell beneath the waves hard and headfirst. She fell unconscious, never seeing Kadaj run up to the side and stare down at her helplessly, never feeling Rude as he dove in after her and pulled her out. She never even knew that they were going across the water at nearly one hundred miles per hour, nor did she know when she was wrapped up in the cape of a friend a few hours later, all of her clothes laying nearby to dry. She never felt the warmth as she lie by a large, hot fire in a cave with Vincent sitting by her, watching nervously and waiting patiently for her to wake up.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hmm…" she moaned as she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open to see Vincent close his eyes softly and sigh with relief. "Vincent?"

"Glad you're okay," he said quietly. She felt something against the sides of her head and realized that they were his fingers. She moved her head and realized that it was resting on his crossed legs. Kali closed her eyes again and smiled while Vincent massaged her temples. "Thought this would wake you up. It always works for me, anyway."

"Where am I?" she asked, beginning to sit up. As she looked around, Kali saw Reno changing the bandages for Rude while he explained what happened on the ship. Yuffie was pulling the fur off of some animals that Cid had hunted down to eat. As she watched Cid walk in with more wood to feed the fire when Vincent pushed her back down.

"We're in a cave just a day's ride from Midgar. And I don't suggest you sit up again, as least not until your clothes finish drying and I can get you to a more private place in the cave. You don't want my coat to slip and make you flash everyone here, do you?"

"Vincent, am I _nude_?" she asked disgustedly. When he nodded, she stared up at him and moaned, "I'm nude in a group with only one other woman. Yeah, this is a _great_ trip so far."

"And that woman was the one to take off your clothes and wrap you up," Vincent assured her with a chuckle. "I never met a girl who was so sarcastic. Except, maybe Yuffie."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuffie asked as she came over. She sat next to Vincent and held the food near the fire. They sat silently for a few minutes as they waited for the food to cook. Kali finally looked up at Vincent.

"What did Rude tell you?" she asked quietly.

"He said that the shadow tried to rape you last night," he whispered, "and that you had met Kadaj."

"We haven't technically met yet. He doesn't know my name and I only know his because you told me what it is."

"True," he agreed. "But Kali, if you see him again before you have the sword, please, even if he wants to help you, run. He can change his mind in a second about anyone and anything."

"Right," she sighed. Yuffie looked down at her.

"Food's done. You hungry?"

"Starved."

"Be right back," Yuffie smiled. She took one of the animals to the three men sitting by the entrance, booze and cigarettes in each of their hands. When she came back, Vincent was gone. He had carried Kali to another place in the cave so she could dress. He came back a moment later and sat by Yuffie.

"Kali's a good kid," he said softly, wrapping an arm around Yuffie. She laid her head against his shoulder and chewed on a piece of meat.

"She really is. Hard to believe Sephiroth was her dad. She's not like him at all."

"You'd be surprised. She actually has a little bit of a temper and is quite impatient. But I'm amazed at the sense of justice and selflessness she has. You don't find that in teenagers often, especially girls," he said the last part in Yuffie's ear with a slight laugh.

"You talking about me?" she asked, pretending to look hurt. Vincent smiled and hugged her as he ate thoughtfully.

"You know I'm teasing."

"I know," she smiled. She turned her head and kissed Vincent. Across the fire, sitting so she couldn't see him, Reno was watching them silently.

"In a way, I want him to die," he whispered as the two lovebirds continued to talk.

"Don't say that," Rude said, his voice muffled slightly as he tore a piece of meat off the bone with his teeth.

"Yeah, Vincent's a good guy. Look, just because he took Yuffie from you…" Cid began.

"I'm not the only one to have lost someone to something," Reno pointed out, staring at Cid. "Don't tell me that since Shera, you haven't despised the sea and storms." Cid fell silent and continued eating. Reno glanced back over at them "It's not just that he took Yuffie," he said quietly. "We all know what he's been through. I'm sure death to him would be better than life, no matter what he says."

"What do you mean?" Cid asked. Reno shook his head.

"Never mind," he said quietly. He took another bite of food and changed the subject while Vincent and Yuffie continued their discussion.

"Vincent, do think she'll change?"

"How do you mean?"

"When Kali gets the sword and you die," Yuffie said. "Do you think she'll stay the same or become like he was?"

"Well," Vincent thought a moment, "I guess you'll just have to wait and see. I'll be dead, so it makes no real difference to me. Yuffie, do me a favor."

"What?"

"Take care of Kali, Kadaj, and their descendants as if they were our own kids."

"But what if I get pregnant before you die? Won't I have our own family to care for?" she asked. Vincent shook his head.

"That won't happen. Hojo made sure I was incapable of impregnating a woman when he ran his tests on me. Since I've been left to care for her, I technically am her adopted father. I actually feel as though Kali is my daughter, and love her as such. Yuffie, take good care of Kali and Kadaj. He may be an adult, but he still needs guidance. Sephiroth left him at the age of ten. He never had anyone to teach him about the real world except Loz and Yazoo, and look what happened to them. He's been living in exile ever since then."

"I'll take care of them," she whispered. "I promise."

"Take care of who?" Kali asked as she sat by them. She handed Vincent his cloak and began to eat.

"When I die, Yuffie will be taking care of you and Kadaj. She will also look after your children, their kids, _their_ kids, and your entire family line until the end of time."

"How?" Kali asked curiously. Realization dawned on her when the question was barely out of her mouth. "She's a virgin and you bit her."

"Yes," Yuffie nodded. "Or rather, I was a virgin until just after I was bitten."

"Yuffie," Vincent muttered, his face turning slightly red. More realization dawned on Kali.

"Wait a minute, Vincent, you're a vampire! Even if the gauntlet comes off, you still can't die!"

"No, no, no!" he said loudly. "I told you in your mother's house that I'm only part vampire. I told you that the only vampire traits I gained were the color of my eyes and my thirst for blood."

"But what about Yuffie? She was shot square in the chest and stood right back up!"

"I'm only a half-breed as well," Yuffie answered, "but I retained some different traits than Vincent. If any half-breed is going to live, it will be me."

"But your gauntlet has never come off, so how do you know you will die?"

"Because your father told me I would. When one goes to the Lifestream, the person learns things about their loved one's futures. He told your mother that she was pregnant with you and left instructions for her to fill after your birth so she would be less surprised when the doctor told her. He told her of her illness so she would be prepared. He told me that you would receive no birthday wishes so that we could talk before you came out and you would know the letter was real. He told me that I was going to die so that I would get you to Midgar to fulfill the spell."

"Spell?" Kali perked up.

"I will explain when we get to the city. I don't remember what it is now, but it's carved into your father's tombstone."

"I don't want to go anymore," she said quietly. "I want to find a portal and go home."

"Kali, you can't. I'm sorry," Vincent replied just as quietly. "You have a job here, I am sorry to say. I don't know what it is, but you must do it before you go home."

"I feel sick," she whispered.

"Vincent, let's not talk about this anymore," Yuffie suggested. She stood. "I'll be back. I need to get some blankets."

"Okay," Vincent nodded. She pecked him on the lips and walked off. "Kali, let's go to sleep."

"I need it," she muttered. She stood and laid against the wall for a moment before Vincent came and joined her. He lie so his shoulders and head were leaning against the wall while Kali curled up next to him and fell asleep almost immediately, her head against his chest and his arm around her. Yuffie came back a few minutes later.

"The other guys took the blankets," she rolled her eyes.

"Why?" Vincent asked.

"Rude had most of the blankets and they're still wet from when he took the refreshing dip in the sea earlier."

"Come here," Vincent motioned her over. She began kissing him, but he pushed her away. "Not tonight."

"Why not?" she said quietly. She glanced at the young girl. "Kali can sleep by herself, she's a big girl."

"Yuffie, we've slept together every night since I got back. I'm tired."

"You've had a day to regain your energy."

"It's not from that," he shook his head. He stared into the fire. "I'm feeling my age. I'm wearing down, even though I don't look it. Just because I don't _look_ old, it doesn't change my age. My head is full of painful memories that span three quarters of a century. I've seen more than I need to. My heart aches," he said quietly, laying a hand over it, "with the love I still hold for many of the people who I have watched die. Many of them shouldn't have died until after or around the time I do. There was Sephiroth, Aeris, Lucrecia, Tseng, Rufus, and I still feel a little remorse for Hojo. He was my best friend until we began working for Shinra, after all. I need to die, Yuffie. I don't want to. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to stay on this Planet with you and sleep with you every night for eternity, to taste your sweet lips before I sleep at night and again when I wake in the morning," he looked down at Kali. "I want to stay to protect her and her family. Mostly, I want to stay with you and make love with you every night, and learn of the Planet, and learn some more ninja techniques from you.

"But you must understand as I do now that this body is tired, that these bones need to be laid to rest. Do you realize that this fall, I will be seventy-seven years old? It will be exactly fifty years since he gave me this _thing_, thus allowing me to look the same for half a century. Yuffie, death is something I have wanted since my twenty-seventh year in this world. Although I don't _want_ it anymore, I have come to understand that I _need_ it," Vincent looked up at Yuffie, his eyes shining with tears. "I love you, I love Kali, Reno, Rude, Cid, and Kadaj. I don't want to leave any of you, but this is something that must happen. I love you the most, and my heart hurts even worse at the thought of leaving your side."

"Vincent," Yuffie said softly. She sat against his other side, lay with her head on his chest and pulled his arm around her. She laid his cloak across them, managing to cover herself, Kali, and Vincent's legs. She looked up and kissed him long and softly. "I love you, too."

"Go to sleep," he whispered, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes, silent tears dripping onto his shirt. He, too, began to cry. He sat there for an hour, the only two living women he cared for anymore sleeping against him, and cried silently before Reno came over.

"You're really worried about leaving them," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Vincent looked up at him for a moment before looking at the women at his sides.

"I'm actually afraid to die. Damn, I haven't felt that way about death since before Hojo killed me."

"Vincent," Reno said quietly. He knelt in front of him and stroked Yuffie's hair. "I love Yuffie just as much as you do. I would give anything for her. I'll take care of her when you die."

"I'm glad to hear that. Reno, I'm sorry I took her. I didn't even know she liked me until after Sephiroth died. I only found out by chance. You'll have her back within a day or two," he said. Reno shook his head.

"No," he said quietly. "Once a woman loses the man she truly loves, she never really gets over it, nor does she want another man."

"You mean Elena and Tseng," Vincent replied. Reno nodded.

"She'd hardly even look at me after Sephiroth killed him. Looking back now, I don't know how I could go through with some of the orders we were given," he whispered softly, "but sometimes I wish the Turks were still around. I don't even know what it is I miss exactly."

"The excitement of never knowing if you would live or die during your missions, the action, feeling like you were a hero doing something to protect the Planet," Vincent muttered. He looked up and smiled a little when Reno stared at him in shock. "Despite my hate for them, I sometimes feel the same way. At least with them, you always knew that if you lived through whatever you were doing, you had a nice, warm place to sleep, could take a hot shower, and eat a decent meal. For me, that knowledge and the thought that Lucrecia was back in Midgar awaiting my return always pulled me through anything. Except once," he whispered sadly, taking a glance at the arm wrapped around Kali.

"Don't worry about them," Reno assured him as he stood. "I'll take good care of them. And Kadaj. Good night, Vincent."

"Good night," he replied. As Reno laid down across the cave, Vincent held the beauties tighter against him, stroked their hair, and cried again. After a long while, Vincent finally nodded off to sleep.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Poor Vinny.

**Vincent:** Don't call me that.

**NM: **I think he needs a hug!

**Vincent:** No! ((runs to closet))

**NM:** ((sweat drop)) Poor thing doesn't have much time left in this story. Oh,I have two disclaimers:in the last chapter, Kali was listening to Marilyn Manson. For those of you who don't know, he is a real singer and not oneI made up (really good rock music, but alot of bad cussing).In this chapter, she reads a book called 'FourPast Midnight' and the story in it called 'SecretWindow, Secret Garden.'The collection is a book that contains four Stephen King novellas: The Langoliers; Secret Window,Secret Garden (the best story in the collection in my opinion. It was also made into an excellentmovie (the title is just 'Secret Window') recently that I highly recommend, with Johnny Depp playing the lead character); The Library Policeman; and The Sun Dog.Anyway, onto reviews:

**Mediciner:** Actually, I went out and bought it the other day with a gift card I got for Xmas. I love it! Also, the reason for the rating is going to get worse as the story goes on. Believe me, if you don't like sex, drug use, gore, cussing, or scary moments, you may want to stop reading. But I'm glad you like it.

**Merielle:** Yeah, the meeting is a spur-of-the-moment idea. You'll soon find I put those in quite often. Silver-haired guys kick ass. I must admit, I'm not too crazy about Loz (he's just okay in my eyes; but I love his attacks) and Yazoo (Yazoo looks like a woman to me, I'm sorry), but Riku's cool, Sephiroth rocks, and Kadaj is _so_ hot. And we can't forget Dante from the 'Devil May Cry' games; he's pretty cool. There's just something about silver-haired guys that makes them so awesome. As for the shadow raping Kali thing, you know who he is (just please don't say it here), so you should know why. Actually, he's just trying to rape her now because they haven't talked and she doesn't know who he is. He's just biding his time right now, but once they have an introduction, things will change.

**Kadaj:** I'm hot? ((feels his forehead)) I don't feel warm…

**NM:** ((stare)) Shut up, hottie.

**Sayahiei:** Welcome aboard the S.S. Angel's Child! Sorry the first chapter was kind of boring; it was mostly to tell how Kali got the letter so there won't have to be a flashback chapter later. I'm glad you took the time to read the prequel. I'm also glad you're enjoying this so much. And I must agree, Cloud is a huge baka-san, and really should rot in hell. I'm glad to hear you loved chapter seven. And just so you know, not that I mind, but you really didn't have to review every single chapter if you started reading after it got so far along; you could have just reviewed the last one and saved some time so you could read more. But I'm happy to receive so much feedback, so thank you very much! I hope you'll consider starting a story or two yourself.

**NM:** Thank you all so much. As always, please review!

**NINJA MAGE**


	9. Farewell Part 1

****

Chapter 9

Farewell Part 1

"Kali," a voice whispered.

"Hmm…" She moaned in her sleep, signaling that the speaker should shut up.

"Kali, get up," he said again. She finally opened her eyes to find…

"It's you," she whispered, gazing up at her angel. He smiled at her, his green eyes shining with tears. "You haven't come for years."

"Because I died in your dream and you stopped believing in me," he whispered. Kali sat up to find herself lying on the ground in a small field of flowers in a forest. There was a building a short distance away with a small pond in front. It all seemed so familiar…

"I'm sorry I stopped believing. I know who you are now," she said quietly. "You really are my father, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I wish you had believed me sooner," he said sadly, the wings on his bare back drooping to emphasize the sadness. He laid a hand on her face. "I see your mother in you."

"Strange. Most people see you_ in me." _

"I can understand that. But to me, you're just as beautiful as she was. You have her type of hair; straight, soft, and just the right thickness. You have her body, her lovely eye color. When you're asleep, you look so much more like her. That's why I sat there every night, watching you and making sure you had all of the comfort you needed."

"Where am I? Is this the Lifestream?"

"We're in an image of a field near the City of the Ancients. The illusion was created by the Lifestream. Kali, I have come to you again because there are some things you need to know."

"What?"

"First of all," he began, sitting in front of her with his legs folded under him, "stay away from the shadowy figure that's been following you."

"Why? Who is he?"

"I don't know his name or what attraction he has to you that would make him want to have sex with you, but I do know this: he is working for somebody who wants to see you dead. I'm not sure exactly why she wishes you to die, but I know that's what she wants more than anything."

"What else do you want me to know?" she whispered, the words sinking in slowly.

"You feel that when Vincent dies, you will be utterly alone. No matter what he, Yuffie, Reno, Cid, or even Rude say, you feel that you will be alone in this world when Vincent is gone. Kali, you mustn't feel that way," he whispered as he laid a hand on her bare shoulder. "I will always be watching over you, protecting you through everything as I did when you were a child. You will also have Kadaj with you. He really wants to know who you are."

"I want to speak with him and get to know him," Kali explained with a hint of impatience in her voice, "but Vincent has warned me not to until he's…" she trailed off, unable to say the word.

"Vincent's right."

"Huh?"

"I had to leave Kadaj when he was ten years old, but I remember him when he was trying to bring me back seventeen years ago," he whispered sadly. He turned his head away from her a little, a faraway look in his eyes. His voice shuddered slightly as he continued. "He was just… so angry with everyone and everything. He hated everything from Cloud to Jenova, even to the clones he was working with and himself. The only thing he cared about was me. Sometimes I wish that Vincent had left him to die. Nobody with that much anger in his heart should be allowed to live. But Kadaj learned again what love and caring are when Vincent bound his wounds and gave him the potions. I have seen that he has love for you, although he does not even suspect that you are related in any way except a clone."

"A clone? He thinks I'm a clone?"

"Yes. That means that you must_ be cautious when you finally have an introduction. I happen to know that he will save your life just before you tell him your name. You will be unconscious for a short time. During your hibernation, he will examine you and conclude that you're a clone. He hates the clones, for he feels that any part of the Jenova Project, save myself, played a part in my deaths in Nibelheim, the Meteor Crisis, and on the world where I finally remained dead. If he tries to turn you away, be persistent in demanding that you stay with him. If nothing works, show him my sword and that necklace," Sephiroth demanded as he pointed at the jewel resting just above her breasts. They sat in silence for a moment. _

"It's cold," she said quietly, rubbing her hands over her bare arms. Sephiroth hugged his daughter to warm her.

"Kali," he said soothingly. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"The fight you dreamed I died in. If I had won, I don't think you'd be here right now. You see, that monster is the one who hired the shadow. Had I beaten her, you would not have to worry. You and Vincent would probably still be on your world."

"I need to leave this place."

"No, Kali. If you do go, the entire P-" he was cut off by a rumbling noise in the distance. The two of them stood and watched as the ground was torn apart a few miles away. Sephiroth whispered, "It has begun."

"What has?" Kali gasped, her hand clutching her father's tightly. He remained silent.

They began to lose balance as the ground under their feet started trembling. Sephiroth wrapped his arms tightly around Kali again and held her close to his bare, muscular chest. An explosion a great distance away caused a huge fire to come towards them. Sephiroth swung Kali and threw her to the ground. He lie on top of her, his wings protecting what his body didn't. Kali screamed as the fire overcame them and his wings were torn from his back, feathers flying around them in flames. She was speechless as his skin was torn from his body, his muscles and organs turning instantly to dust. She threw the remaining skeleton aside as it disintegrated and the flames disappeared. She stood up to find a figure dressed all in white with black hair hiding her face. She turned suddenly into the monster from Kali's past dream.

Kali immediately found herself outside her body. She watched as she changed shape. Her entire body began glowing with a white light as her entire figure turned smooth and metallic, making her seem to be a black blob, none of her bodily features visible except her tattoos. Her tank top, pants, boots, gloves, and bracers melted with her body, her necklace the only accessory not changing. Her legs, having joined together, now divided to form six wings and, from her shoulder down to her fingers, her right arm formed a seventh. The two tattoos on her back grew to form two real wings, the same ones her father had, and in her left hand, she grasped her father's great sword. As her skin and feathers turned pitch black, Kali noticed that from her belly button down, her body was feathered, but from her stomach up, she had skin and was nude. Her grey eyes glowed at the other monster before she flew at her.

youmust

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Ah," she gasped quietly as she woke up. She sat up, Vincent and Yuffie still asleep next to her. She sighed silently and snuggled back up against Vincent. _What an odd dream,_ she thought. She closed her eyes to try and sleep, but it refused to come back. Kali finally stood, wrapped the coat tighter around her two friends, and stood at the mouth of the cave. She was gazing out at the scenery and cloudy sunrise when a hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Hey, relax, it's just me," Reno said softly. He stood next to her and followed her gaze. "Something bugging you?"

"Not really," Kali replied. She finally looked at him. "Reno, what would you say if I told you that I'm going to become a monster?"

"I'd say you must have been dipping into our booze and cigarette stash," he laughed as he lit one for himself. "I'd offer you one, but I guess you don't smoke."

"No. It's illegal for anyone under eighteen to smoke on my planet. At least, it was before the original was killed. On the planet I grew up on, it was completely illegal because of the pollution it caused."

"Your old planet was killed?" he said with a hint of shock. Kali nodded and explained briefly about Earth up until the end of the alien wars on Jahan. He whistled lightly. "That's tough. Wish we were smart enough to think of that. Maybe then your dad would still be alive."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we had thought of evacuating the Planet when your dad summoned Meteor, Cloud might not have had to kill him."

"But then I probably wouldn't be here," Kali said quietly. "The reason I ask about the monster… I had a weird dream just a little while ago. My entire body seemed to be made of black wings."

"Wings," Reno repeated slowly and quietly. He puffed on his cigarette thoughtfully. "Your dad took a shape like that. His wings were white, though. I never saw it outside of his crystal confines, but that's what Cloud said he looked like."

"He did?"

"He called himself the 'Safer Sephiroth.' He had wings for legs and a wing for an arm."

"Since he's my father, maybe…" she hesitated, "maybe I'm going to turn out like him. Maybe I'm going to finish what he started, maybe I'll die like he did, or maybe-"

"Kali, shut the fuck up!" Reno snapped suddenly.

"Reno," Kali said shakily, unaccustomed to hearing an outburst from him.

"I'm sorry to use that language, but don't even think that about yourself. I lost a lot of friends to your father. See those people sleeping in there?" he said, looking in at the snoozing forms. Vincent and Yuffie were fast asleep against the wall, both his arms around her now. Cid was snoring lightly, a burned out cigarette in his hand. Rude was stretched out against the wall, fast asleep and glasses off. "These are the only people I have left. My entire family was in Midgar and died when Meteor hit. I lost all of my friends from the Turks except Rude and Vincent. I love them all and would give my life for them. Kali, if you turn out like Sephiroth, you'll most likely go after them. He barely cared about his own son when he summoned Meteor, much less his clones or old friends. I don't want to have to kill you. You're too sweet of a girl, and way too damn beautiful, you really are. I'm not afraid to say it like the others are," he said quietly, making her blush, "but I'm not losing those people in there the way I lost Elena, Tseng, and Rufus. Until then, don't worry. I'll look after you to the end."

"Thank you, Reno," she whispered. She sat on the ground and let out a sudden gasp as she began to cry. She laid a hand over her mouth gently. "Sorry."

"Hey, I'm sorry," Reno said apologetically. He sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, it's not you. I just have so many things going on lately. Reno, you've been great. Thanks," she muttered quietly. She leaned against his shoulder and cried quietly. He finally pushed her up.

"Did Vincent tell you why he needed to be there for you to get the sword?"

"No. Why?"

"Then how do you know that he needs to be there? He could be wrong. If you want, we can go out there now and we can meet them as they're coming for us."

"Will it save Vincent?" she asked. Reno hesitated.

"It may. We won't know unless we try."

"Then let's go," she said as she stood.

Reno watched her collect her bag and put on her coat. He packed his own bag silently and secured both to his bike. When Kali was ready, they rolled the bike away from the cave and began the ride to Midgar. Vincent woke up at the faint noise of the engine starting up. He saw Yuffie next to him, but no Kali. When he realized that Reno wasn't there, either, he gently laid Yuffie on the ground and ran to the entrance to see if they were perhaps playing a joke, but he knew in his heart that they had gone to Midgar alone.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"This is it," Reno said nearly half a day later. The sun was just beginning to set in the distance as they came into the ruins. Kali gazed around at the destroyed buildings.

"Midgar," she whispered.

He drove her through the ruins, pointing out where many of his favorite places had been; The Honeybee Inn, The Seventh Heaven Bar that Tifa used to run, the Turks headquarters, the President's office. Kali felt a sense of awe when he showed her the church that Aeris had lived in and the flowers she had cared for, the only flowers that grew in the slums of Midgar. They were still beautifully yellow. She carefully dug two up, roots and all, and laid them gently in her bag.

"What are those for?" Reno asked.

"I want to plant them by my father's grave," she explained quietly. He smiled at her.

"I think he would like that, Kali."

"Where is his grave, anyway?" she inquired as they continued to ride through the deserted streets.

"Probably on the other side of town. Wait, there it is," he said, pointing up to the top of a hill a short distance outside of town. On top, they could just make out a box with a statue on top and something sticking out of the ground a few yards away from it. Reno began driving up to it. By the time they reached it, the sun had turned the sky blood red. He stopped a few feet from the top. "I'll leave you here. Come down when you have the sword."

"Thanks, Reno," she said, giving him a hug. He returned it and drove back down the hill.

Kali slowly walked up to the top and stared at the objects in front of her. The item that stood a few feet from the tomb was a rusted sword with two holes near the hilt. Taking a closer look, she could see something carved into the handle: _Cloud Strife_. She glared at the sword, wondering why he would leave it by the grave of a man he hated. She turned away and stared at the beautiful stone in front of her. It was a large cube made of white marble. On top, perched on three legs made of black onyx, was a ruby sphere with crystal pieces thrusting out to Kali's left. She knew immediately that the ruby was Meteor and the crystal was the tail. She knelt slowly in front of it and ran her fingers over the intricately written words carved into the stone:

__

In Memory of

SOLDIER General

And Jenova Project

Sephiroth

Underneath this beautiful carving was another message, but carved sloppily and in such a way that it looked like it was done with a shaky hand using a sword instead of a chisel. Kali had difficulty reading it, as some letters were easier to read then others, but this is what it said:

Loving father and perfect gentleman.

"Kadaj," she whispered after figuring out the message. Indeed, he had been the one to carve this into the stone. She noticed the rest of the words and read:

Created by man,

To be killed by another.

Before death he comes,

Makes a woman a mother.

A daughter she'll be,

Someday caught in a great bind.

With faith in her heart,

Inner strength she soon will find.

Born on a new world,

Father's friend take home and guard.

Enemies she'll make,

But all efforts will be marred.

Two choices she has,

One to leave dad dead and weak.

Two makes her a bane,

Father's vengeance she will seek.

Kali read the two stanzas over again. She wondered what this could be and why it was one the tomb of her father. Kali read it once more aloud. She finally stood and noticed something around the legs of Meteor. Tied around the two legs was a necklace with a beautiful and elegantly designed cross. It seemed to be similar to hers, gold with pearl in the middle. She laid a hand on it and turned quickly at a voice behind her.

"That's the spell that was cast on him as an infant," Vincent said quietly as he came up from the side of the hill. He pulled a necklace out from under his collar and knelt on one knee in front of the stone, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and said a prayer quietly, head bowed. Kali couldn't hear exactly what he said, but she knew he was using an old language, for she heard words like 'thee' and 'thy' multiple times. He finally stood and Kali saw that his necklace was another cross, but this one was made of crystal decorated with what would have been Celtic knots on her world, but she was sure that they were just designs here. He smiled. "Here's the necklace. I forgot I left it here. This is one that your father made."

"He made that?" Kali said quietly. She fingered her own.

"Yes, as well as yours and my ring," he said quietly. He stared at the writing and read the section aloud. "That's the spell that was put on him. When he was a baby, Hojo made a woman angry. He didn't know at the time that she was a magic-user, so he blew her off. The woman came later to punish him. She decided to put the spell on Sephiroth, for she suspected that he was Hojo's son and she wanted to do something that would make him feel bad instead of something he could get over. This is the one she used. It was supposed to make him immortal, but he would still grow old. Eventually, your father was supposed to become nothing more than a skeleton and fungus-covered organs. A living corpse, basically. She never thought that he would arrive at another world.

"Almost everything's come true. He was created by man, Cloud killed him, Sephiroth impregnated your mother, she gave birth to a daughter," he nodded to her, "mother and child were from another world, I brought you here, and you've made enemies of Tifa and Marlene"

"Why is Cloud's sword here?" she inquired.

"Cloud came here before your dad's grave was made and stuck it in the ground. Sephiroth's clones made the tombstone and brought it here so he could oversee the destruction he had caused. Kadaj came every chance he got," Vincent said slowly. He turned back to the grave and closed his eyes. "I remember the day he died and when I finally brought the body here..."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Vincent," Sephiroth gasped. Vincent knelt down and laid a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. He brushed his long, black hair out of his eyes before he lifted his friend and laid his head against his leg. "I'm dying."

"No, you're not," Vincent said soothingly. He smiled, but it was difficult, for his eyes were filling with tears as he surveyed the damage Cloud had done.

"Don't lie to me, Vincent. I know better. I've died before, too."

"Sephiroth…"

"Please, take care of Michiko for me. I miss her terribly."

"I will."

"Take care of Kadaj and his family if you go back to the Planet."

"Of course," Vincent said quietly, both his voice and body trembling. He held his friend's hand tightly, nearly cutting off the circulation.

"Tell Michiko that I love her, even in my death. Make sure she knows. If she doesn't know, I'm sending Meteor to smite you," he chuckled softly. Vincent laughed weakly, too. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Sephiroth, if you let me take you out of here now, you can be saved. You can see her again."

"No," he replied quietly, struggling to sit up a little bit. "I need to finish filling the spell. I don't know for sure if Michiko is pregnant or not, but I think she's carrying my daughter right now."

"What makes you say that?"

"Every other time I died, I could see a flash of light beforehand. I don't see one now. I think that light was what gave me each new life. I can't die until I fuck a woman and she is preparing to give birth to a girl as a result. If she does give my child life, take care of my daughter, too. And Vincent?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to be buried near Midgar. There's a hill outside the town with a sword in the ground and a marble stone. The stone is my grave, made by Loz and Yazoo. They put it there before they died. I want to be laid to rest there. Please, don't let Cloud know where my body is."

"I promise."

"Thank you for everything."

"Goodbye, Sephiroth."

"Not goodbye. You only say 'goodbye' to people you won't see again. We'll meet again someday, even if it's when you die. See you later, Vinny."

"That's Vincent."

"Whatever," Sephiroth said quietly with a weak shrug. He closed his eyes and breathed shallowly, his head resting against Vincent's stomach. "See you later."

"See you again soon," Vincent replied. He cried silently as Sephiroth's body fell limp in his arms and his breathing stopped.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"… and I hope that you're happy, wherever you are," Kadaj said quietly. He knelt by the tombstone as Vincent walked over the hill, a limp figure in his arms. "I miss you terribly, father. I wish I could see you one more time."

"You can," Vincent said softly as he came up. Kadaj turned and shook angrily.

"What is it? If Cloud's with you…"

"No. I came to fill your father's last wish."

"Dad?" Kadaj said sadly when he saw who was in Vincent's arms. He mouth trembled and tears filled his eyes as he laid a hand on his dad's forehead. "Dad… no."

"I'm sorry, Kadaj. I had hoped you wouldn't be here," Vincent apologized as he laid the body on the ground. He placed his hand on Kadaj's shoulder for a second as he knelt next to Sephiroth's body, which was back to his normal self, except for the fact he was dead. Kadaj held him and sobbed while Vincent began digging a hole.

"No, no, no, no, no, please, god, no," Kadaj sobbed over and over, "not again, not again, please not again, god not again, no…"

"Kadaj," Vincent said gently, kneeling in front of the man and brushing a few stray strands out of Sephiroth's face. The two of them stared at the still face silently.

Vincent finally picked up the body and placed it into the coffin. He crossed Sephiroth's arms over his chest and closed the lid. He worked in silence as he filled the hole. Kadaj's sobs echoed in Vincent's ears, and by the time he was done, Vincent's sobs were scarcely quieter, for he knew that with Sephiroth went Lucrecia, the first and, until he began his affair with Yuffie, only woman he ever loved. The two men knelt in front of the grave and prayed silently. Vincent felt something in his pocket as he stood and pulled out a jeweled cross on a chain. He threaded the chain through two of the legs of Meteor and hooked it so it hung down, the bottom just touching the words' in memory of.' Kadaj reached up for his own necklace, grinning weakly as he remembered that his father had just been buried with it. When Vincent moved, Kadaj took his sword in hand, sat in front of the stone, and underneath the name, he carved with difficulty five words: 'loving father and perfect gentleman.' He stood back and admired his handiwork before he and Vincent said their farewells. Vincent never returned to the site until Kali was with him. Kadaj made annual trips to the area on his birthday, the birthday of his father, and the anniversary of his burial.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Believe me, Kali, laying your father under the ground you now stand on was the hardest thing I've ever done. Now, I think you need to put the necklace in the stone."

"Where?" she asked as she unclipped the jewel.

"Here," Vincent pointed at an indentation on the back of the tail. She placed the necklace into the space before Vincent pushed her gently onto the ground and made her stay close to the tomb.

"What's wrong?"

"Listen," he said quietly. They could hear a motorcycle coming up the hill on the other side. "It's Tifa."

"No," Kali shook her head when she realized what was going on. "Vincent, no."

"Kali, I'm sorry. Please, don't go after her. You're not strong enough. Wait until you can fight and you have Kadaj to help you," he said quietly. He hugged her and kissed the side of Kali's head. "I love you like my own, Kal. I'm doing this for you. Take care of yourself and your brother. Goodbye, Kal," he said softly as he stood.

"I thought you only say goodbye to people you won't see again," Kali pointed out as a few tears dripped down her face.

"I know. I didn't stutter. You see, although I love you and care about you, I don't want to see you again, for the next time we meet will be when you die. I don't want that to happen for a long, long time. Goodbye, Kali Yori."

"See you later, Vincent Valentine," she said quietly. He began to correct her, but dropped it and only smiled sadly. Kali watched silently as Tifa came over the hill and Vincent turned to face her.

"Hello, Vincent," she said angrily.

"Hello, Tifa," he returned.

Kali watched Tifa fly at Vincent, a whirlwind of fists and feet.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Well, Vinny's almost gone.

**Vincent:** ((pouts))

**NM: **Sorry… Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying! I have no disclaimers or quirks, so here are replies:

**Sayahiei:** Sure you do! There's reading, and writing, and playing video games, and watching movies, and watching TV, and…

**Mediciner:** Come to think of it, there are only maybe one or two more love scenes in this story, one of which will be fairly soon I think, and the other will be a bit later. Yeah, I need to get better at subtlety with my mysterious people. But just in case, I'm not saying anything. I'm not far in CoM; still in Traverse Town, just getting to meet Leon, Yuffie, etc. My GBA batteries are going dead and I keep forgetting to replace them.

**Merielle:** Yeah, I liked it. And it was (you guessed it!) another spur of the moment idea. I'm hoping that they'll actually chit chat in the next one or two chapters. And he really does want her, something that will be very apparent in a future chapter.

**Panny Savage:** A pleasure to meet you! And thanks for reading the one before this. I'm glad to hear that my writing's improved. I've noticed, too, so thanks. I think it may have to with the fact that this is told inthirdperson, not first.If you want information on AC,I'll put my two favorite sites up in my profile for you. Again, a pleasure meeting you and i'm glad you're enjoying my work!

**NM: **Happy New Year Everyone!

**NINJA MAGE**

**P.S.** I'm updating at like, eleven at night and I finished the chapter not long before and didn't do very much proofreading, so if the chapter's bad or you see errors, let me know! I won't be insulted.


	10. Farewell Part 2

****

Chapter 10

Farewell Part 2

"See you later, Vincent Valentine," she said quietly. He began to correct her, but dropped it and only smiled sadly. Kali watched silently as Tifa came over the hill and Vincent turned to face her.

"Hello, Vincent," she said angrily.

"Hello, Tifa," he returned.

Kali watched Tifa fly at Vincent, a whirlwind of fists and feet.

"Ah," he gasped as her fist connected with his stomach. He bent over in pain.

Before she could kick him, he turned and slashed at her with his gauntleted arm. She leapt away and kicked him hard in the chest. He knelt to the ground, but as she tried to strike again, he reached up, grabbed her foot, and spun her in the air. She landed hard on the ground. As he began to leap up and drop kick her in return, she flipped up and dodged his attack. Kali watched fearfully as Vincent and Tifa fought hand-to-hand. Tifa was amazingly fast for a woman her age and with that large of a chest. When Vincent relentlessly and tirelessly dodged and blocked each blow, Tifa finally gave up on her hands and pulled out a dagger. Vincent stared at it; he hadn't gotten a good look before, but something told him that this was the same weapon Cloud had used to kill Sephiroth. He brought his gauntlet up as she swung at him. Kali covered her ears as a horrible ringing noise filled the area. She struggled to keep from screaming in pain. Tifa stepped back and shook her head before Vincent tackled her and knocked the dagger away. She landed face down in the dirt.

"Let's keep it fair, shall we?" he suggested, sitting on the small of her back to keep her on the ground.

"If you want fair, get off of me," she snapped, her voice muffled as the hand pinned her head down against the dirt.

"But you see, I am the one who is free. I have the power to get up when I want and let you up when I want. You see, since I cannot die until my gauntlet comes off, I can sit on you like this for days if I wish, and while you die slowly of starvation and thirst, I will be just fine," he taunted. He brought his face to her neck. "And seeing as how the full moon is coming soon, it will be nice to have I meal I won't have to struggle with for once."

"You asshole. What happened to you? Why are you helping his bitch's daughter?"

"Because she and Kadaj are the only remaining family of Lucrecia. I wouldn't want to lose her memory now, would I?"

"Get off of me. I'll only say it this last time."

"How could Cloud stand you? Were you like this on your honeymoon?" Vincent laughed. "It's no wonder you two had no children."

"GET OFF!" she yelled. She suddenly jerked her body to the side and threw Vincent off balance. She picked up the dagger as he stood.

Kali watched silently, fear growing greater in her chest each moment. Tifa cut open Vincent's chest, drawing vast amounts of blood. He stared at it for a moment before licking it off of his hand. Tifa took his distraction as an opportunity to try and cut off his arm, but as she ran up, he lifted his hand and grabbed her neck. She struggled for a moment, but Kali smiled. She knew that when Vincent saw or tasted blood, his strength grew enormous. Tifa finally sliced open his upper arm with it. As he let go and she stumbled backwards, she clasped a hand to her throat. Her hand came away with blood. Tifa's neck had five neat holes around it, almost as if she wore a satanic necklace with an invisible string holding it together. She gazed up at Vincent in shock as he stared back, eyes glowing blood red. He was shaking with fury as his two cuts healed.

Before Kali knew what was happening, the two of them were running at each other. She watched Tifa cut him open with the dagger, watched as Vincent tore Tifa's body open with his gauntleted arm, watched as their blood stained the grass the color of the sunset sky. Kali gripped her pistol tightly, ready to use it if things turned bad or Tifa approached her. The two of them turned and dodged each other's attacks swiftly; she hardly knew who was winning or losing, and so she decided to take no chances.

She nearly screamed as she watched Vincent make his worst mistake. He paused for a millisecond to reach for one of his guns, finally giving Tifa the moment she had waited for. In that miniscule hesitation, she ran up to him and tore at his arm, just above the elbow. Vincent fell to the ground and screamed in pain. Tifa sat on his stomach and hacked at his left arm with one hand while she held the other hand down. Kali began crying as she watched Tifa finally cut through the bone, then disconnect the flesh in one swift movement. She stood and stared at what she did. Vincent moaned in pain as he stood and grasped the stump of his arm, the fabric of his shirt torn and the coat flying in the wind to reveal the mess. Kali grimaced at the sight of his torn muscles, bone, and blood. Tears of anguish poured down his cheeks as he stared at his bleeding appendage and his eyes became their normal selves. He swallowed weakly before kneeling to the ground to keep from fainting of blood loss. Tifa walked up to him and pulled out a pistol.

"I'm sorry Vincent. But you know how we feel about Sephiroth and everyone who has helped him," she whispered. She knelt in front of him and smiled, running her hand through his hair and the back of it along his cheek. "You always were a handsome man. I wish things didn't have to turn out this way. You know, I've secretly wished that Cloud had been killed by him. Then maybe I could have had you," Tifa whispered. She kissed Vincent on the lips slowly. She unexpectedly pulled away when his lower jaw jerked up slightly and she felt her tongue with her fingertips. It was bleeding.

"You know I love Yuffie," Vincent said as he stood shakily.

"Of course. The young ninja. You don't need to worry about her or Kali in your death. They'll be with you again soon enough."

"Yuffie's an immortal vampire now, and as long as she lives, Kali will stay here," he said knowingly. Kali saw that his eyes were beginning to glaze over. She knew that look; it was the one her mother had just before she died only a short time ago. Kali bit down on her coat collar to keep from crying out loud. Tifa stared at Vincent.

"I beg to differ. Where are they?" she said quietly.

"I'll never tell a bitch like you," he said smoothly. "You may find her yourself, but they will never let you take Kali."

"We'll see," she whispered. She glanced and pointed at the inscription on the grave. "What is that?"

"It's a spell that was put on Sephiroth as a baby. Hojo made a witch pissed and she put it on him. That's why he came back. He couldn't die until he went to another world, screwed around with a woman, and got her pregnant with a daughter. But Kali's part of something bigger now. You can't kill her."

"We'll see about that," she said again. Tifa pointed the pistol at Vincent's head. "Or should I say, _I_ will see about that."

"Tifa?" he said somewhat sweetly.

"Yes?" she returned, her voice somewhat softer. Vincent spit some blood on the ground before he stared at her right in the eyes.

"Go join Cloud and burn in Hell."

"You first," Tifa said angrily. She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

"No," Kali gasped.

_BANG!_ Time seemed to slow down for Kali. She watched the bullet leave the barrel of the gun and fly through the air. She wanted to turn away, but she somehow found herself unable to move, so she was forced to watch as the bullet hit Vincent in the forehead right where, unbeknownst to Kali, Hojo had shot him. Kali struggled to keep her hands off her gun and resisted screaming as she watched a few drops of blood fly from the wound and even more spray from the back of his skull. She trembled with tears as she watched him fall surprisingly slowly backwards to the ground. Tifa lowered the gun and stared at her handiwork. She pulled a cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number.

"Marlene? Have you found them?" She waited. "Damn it. I found Vincent, but not the girl." She paused again. "No, he's dead. He wouldn't tell me where." Tifa listened. She sighed exasperatedly. "I'll meet you outside the city then."

Kali glared at her as Tifa put the phone back. She took one last look at Vincent and began walking down the hill, back to where she had come from. When Kali heard the cycle and was sure Tifa was gone, she ran from behind the stone and knelt by Vincent.

"Vincent?" she gasped, shaking him. "Vincent, no," she sobbed.

His red eyes were half-open and blood still dripped from his forehead. His gauntlet was lying next to him while his right arm was extended slightly from his side. She sat next to him and laid his head on her lap. She massaged his temples, as he had done to her the last time she was knocked out, but she knew it was no use. She finally began to feel sleepy. After staring into his kind face a bit longer, Kali curled up next to him and sobbed harder. She didn't care that he was a bloody mess; she laid her head against his chin, put her arm around him and his around her, and cried for minutes. She finally fell asleep.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali sat up at a noise nearby. Vincent was still lying dead next to her, and the sun was still setting. She felt as though she hadn't been asleep at all. She looked around slowly before noticing that there were a dozen people standing around her. She immediately recognized Cloud, Barret, and Nanaki, but she didn't know who the others were.

One of them was fairly short, had short, blonde hair, and wore a red business suit. He was puffing on a cigar. Next to him was another blonde man, this one a bit taller, and he wore a white suit with a blue tie. To their sides stood two people, a man and a woman, both in blue suits and standing straight up, hands behind their backs. The man had long, black hair and a black tie, but the woman had blonde hair down to her shoulders and no tie. Kali turned around and saw five more people standing there. She immediately recognized the man in the white coat and glasses, his long, black hair pulled back. He was watching her intently, a smirk on his face. The woman to his left was beautiful. She, too, was familiar, and wore a lab coat and glasses, but she had long, loose brown hair. She was crying silently. After watching a moment, Kali realized that they were all crying silently. She turned back to see two people who looked just like her father, except one had hair that was cut very short and the other was quite scrawnier than her dad. She stared up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A beautiful young woman in a pink dress stood over Kali. Her brown hair was in a ponytail with a large, pink bow and she had bright green eyes. The woman smiled sadly at Kali before looking to Vincent.

Kali followed her gaze and gasped as Vincent stood slowly, but it wasn't truly him. It took Kali a moment, but she realized that although his body was gone, his soul was still alive, presently separating from the body, and these people were here to welcome him to the Lifestream. The woman in the dress nodded to Kali. She looked at her hands and saw that she was holding his physical one tightly, thus confining his soul to the body. She closed her eyes with sadness; she knew that if she let go, Vincent's soul would be free and she might never see him again. Kali slowly released him anyway. He smiled at her and, a few tears falling down his face, laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder before approaching the woman in the coat. They hugged silently before another figure came up the hill.

Kali shook excitedly as her father joined them. He seemed calm and collected, at least more than the others. Sephiroth smiled at Vincent and bowed slightly, to which Vincent did the same before the angel turned to his daughter. Kali and Sephiroth smiled at each other a moment, then he knelt by the grave. He read what was written silently before standing again. He pulled a large sword seemingly out of nowhere. It was such a large weapon, some people had to step back or else suffer injury. Sephiroth laid the sword across the grave and stood to look at his daughter. His eyes were shining with proud tears as he gazed smiling at her. Kali tried to stand, but her legs were asleep. Sephiroth knelt next to her, kissed her on the forehead, and wrapped his arms around his child. She could smell the leather he wore, and slowly brought her arms around his back, her hands resting on his shoulders. She closed her eyes and cried a little. As he did this, everyone who was watching stared in surprise. Each of these people had known Sephiroth in life, and yet, none of them, with the exceptions of the people in the lab coats and Vincent, had ever seen him show this much compassion or emotion. Sephiroth held her head up a moment, rubbed his hand along her face, and stared into her eyes before kissing her one more time. Her mother had been right; his lips were soft and warm, even in death. He stood, looked around, nodded, and they all began to leave. He bent and hugged her tighter than he had done previously. She closed her eyes and began to shake fearfully as his smell and touch faded away. Before she opened her eyes, she thought she could hear his voice, although she knew he had said nothing.

"I love you, Kali, and I am so proud of you."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali opened her eyes slowly, hoping that maybe what happened to Vincent had been a dream after all. As soon as she opened them, she knew she was wrong, for Vincent still lay there, his head and arm bleeding, his eyes empty and hollow. She trembled with sadness before turning to the grave. The sword was lying across it. Kali stood slowly and walked over to it.

"I can't even lift this damn thing," she muttered angrily when she saw the size. She walked along it and concluded that her mother was right; it was at least eleven feet long. Kali began to turn away before a voice stopped her.

_"Tit fil…"_ Kali turned and gazed around for the speaker.

"Who's there?" she said shakily.

_"Ihsanan em lla cy amu oy. D'ne irfa mai. Ydo bon mai,"_ it hissed. Kali couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Quit fucking around with my mind and show yourself!" she yelled.

_"Drow seht t'fil won. D'nim ru oyni mai eesu oy. Flesym woh ston naci. D'nim ru oyht iwg nikc uf ton mai,"_ it said quietly. Kali yelled one more time.

"Who are you? Where are you?"

_"Er eh won mai. Ydo bon mai…" _it faded away. Kali stood trembling before going to the sword.

"Well, I can try," she said with a shrug. She grabbed the hilt tightly and pulled as fast as she could. She nearly lost her balance when she pulled it high off the ground. "Ah!" she yelled in surprise. She regained her balance and swung the blade once or twice. It was, in reality, quite lightweight. She gazed out over the ruins silently, the sword still held loosely in her hand.

Just past the city, the moon was rising slowly, the light of the sun fading to black behind her. She glanced back at Vincent's body and her father's grave. Her stomach began to fill with butterflies as she realized her decision. With the last bit of the spell running through her mind, Kali pledged her allegiance to her father and Vincent. She chose to chase down Tifa and Marlene, to kill them when they finally meet. Kali looked at the sword. Deep down, she knew that the power to avenge them was now hers.

Kali slowly laid the sword on the ground. She knelt next to her father's grave and dug a hole just larger than Vincent's body. Kali walked over and, struggling, picked up her friend and his arm. She prayed silently as she lowered him next to the grave. Kali paused a moment and slowly slipped his necklace off of his head. She removed the picture of him, Hojo, and Lucrecia from his pocket, pulled three guns from their holsters, and laid two in his hands. She painfully closed his eyelids, his beautiful and soft red eyes disappearing forever. With some difficulty, Kali laid him in the hole and crossed his arms over his chest, trying her best to put his gauntlet where it was supposed to lay. She struggled with the tears as she covered his body with dirt. Kali was careful to hide his face last, just in case Yuffie came and wanted to see him, but she never arrived. Kali packed the dirt around his head carefully, tears dripping into his wound. Before she finished covering him, she kissed her fingertips and pressed them against his forehead.

When he was covered, she picked up his other gun and necklace. With shaky hands, she arranged her gun and his so that the triggers were touching each other and the mouths of the barrels were just a hair apart. In the middle of the diamond she had formed, she laid the picture in it and gently placed the crystal cross on top. She closed her eyes and cried silently. She looked up as she heard three motorcycles come up the hill. They cut off, and she stared across the hilltop to find Yuffie, Reno, Rude, and Cid coming towards her.

"Hi," Kali said quietly. She stared back at the makeshift tombstone. Yuffie followed her gaze.

"He's gone," Yuffie muttered. It wasn't a question, but Kali bit her lip and nodded weakly, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I should have been here to stop it," Cid whispered after an awkward silence. Yuffie trembled and finally knelt to the ground.

"No," she gasped. Tears streamed down her face as she began screaming. "He's not dead. He's not! No! He can't be! Oh, Vincent, god, no!" She shook violently and hit her temples with her fists. "No, no, no! Vincent, you're not gone, you're not gone! Don't leave us, please!"

"Yuffie," Reno said gently after a minute of this. He began crying, too, but not just because Vincent was dead; he felt his heart aching at her cries. He knelt next to her and tried to hold her.

"Get off of me!" she snapped as his hands barley made contact with her shoulders. She stopped when she saw who it was. "Reno, I'm sorry," she muttered, burying her face in his chest and sobbing, "Why Vincent? Why did it have to be him? Why is the world so fucked up? God, no! He's not gone! He's faking it, just like he did fifteen years ago! He's not buried in the fucking ground!"

"I saw him go to the Lifestream," Kali whispered. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I dreamed that we were sitting on the hill and everyone he knew through his life was there to greet him. At least, I think that's who they were," she muttered. Kali stood and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they fell on the necklace. She picked it up and looked harder; it was actually two pieces that could come apart and were currently fitted together. Kali slid one piece off, laid the necklace back down, and clasped the piece in her hands. "Yuffie?" she said, kneeling before her and Reno.

"What?"

"Here. I think Vincent would want you to have this," Kali explained, extending her hands and opening them to reveal the crystal. Yuffie took it shakily and held it against her heart.

"Why am I feeling like this?" she gasped, eyes closed. "My entire body is shaking and numb. My heart and chest is aching terribly. My mouth and eyes are dry, and yet, my eyes are burning with tears. How could she do that? How could Tifa do it?"

"Anger and hatred blinds and corrupts even the most pure and honorable heart," Rude said quietly. Kali looked up at him, surprised at how deep the meaning of his words was.

She looked at the ground and cried silently. Reno moved so that he was between the two women and wrapped an arm around both. Cid sat on the women's other sides and wrapped them into a hug. Rude joined Kali and Reno and knelt with them. They bowed their heads and cried silently. Rude was the only one to show little emotion, but they all knew that behind his glasses, his eyes were filling with the tears that he had never shed. Kali slowly opened her eyes and raised her head after about twenty minutes.

"Reno, where's my bag?"

"Hmm? Oh, on my cycle, just a few feet down. Why?" he asked as she stood. Kali walked away and came back with two yellow items in her hands.

"For Daddy and Vincent," she whispered. She dug one hole at the base of her father's tombstone, laid one of Aeris' flowers in it, and packed dirt around it. She turned to Vincent's guns and planted the other flower just above them. "Someday, this hill will have more flowers covering it. I hope we'll all be able to take care of them."

"Kali," Cid said. He took a breath and looked from the teenager to Yuffie. "I think we should go get some sleep. Both of you have had a long day."

"Okay," Kali agreed. She picked up the sword, receiving stares from her friends.

"I haven't seen that thing in years," Reno said in awe. As he returned to his motorcycle, he called, "Put it away before you poke someone's eye out."

"Ha," Kali laughed weakly. She closed her eyes and laid the sword against her hip, just as she did a normal one. She felt the weight disappear and looked down to see that it was gone. "Where'd it go?"

"The magic that went into the forging of Masamune allows it to disappear when not in use. Just grab the air next to your hip, right where a normal sword's hilt sits, think about holding it, and then pull your arm out as if unsheathing a normal blade. You'll be able to use it in seconds," Cid explained. He led her down the hill.

"You and Vincent were close friends, weren't you?"

"Yeah. Damn it, I haven't cried like this in years," Cid sighed. He rubbed his teary, red eyes and took a deep breath. "I tried to talk him out of going with Cloud, but once he knew Yuffie was going, there was no changing his mind. It was meant to be."

"Cid, I'm sorry. Vincent was a great man," Kali whispered. She hugged Cid and sat in front of Rude on his bike.

"Thanks, kid," Cid whispered as he got on his. Kali never heard him, for they were already speeding down the hill towards the ruins to find a place to sleep.

They rode for a few minutes before stopping at Aeris' church. They lit a fire just outside and sat around it, their sorrow feeding the flames and keeping them cold. Yuffie curled up next to Reno, Rude sat close to the flames, Cid sat close on the other side, and Kali sat by herself, her coat wrapped tightly around her. She couldn't help feeling that they blamed her for what happened to Vincent. She was, after all, right there when Tifa attacked. She could have done anything to save him. She shivered violently despite the flame. Kali drew her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face in her arms. As she gazed back up at the fire, the last thing her father had said in her dream echoed through her mind.

_I love you, Kali, and I am so proud of you…_

Kali smiled to herself. Her task was almost done; she could feel it. She only had to avenge her father and Vincent, and then everything would be great. She smiled on and on before lowering her eyes and closing them. She jerked her head up when the voice spoke again.

"Dehsi nif g'ni ebote solc neveto nerau oy. Eve ihcad nan rae loth cumy revoso doth cume vahl litsu oy. G'nor werau oy."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** ((tear)) Vincent's dead. I'm sorry Vinny fans! Maybe you'll see him again… ((shifty eyes)) Anyway, I really want to know your feedback on the subject; whether you felt indifferent, cried, enjoyed watching (er, reading) him die, etc (I was crying, and I'm the one who wrote it!). But be honest! Oh, and sorry if the fight was kind of weak. Anyone who's read my other stories will know that I'm not good at writing out violent conflicts. Also, does everyone know who all of the people in the Lifestream were? I'll tell you in the next chapter's author notes if you don't. Just let me know. Okay, next order of business: a man with three buttocks.

**All Prisoners:** ?????

**NM:** ((laughs weakly)) Sorry, _Fawlty Towers_ marathon on today. John Cleese is running through my mind randomly. Anyone who's watched Monty Python or Fawlty Towers will understand… Onwards! Okay, seriously now. Could anyone decode the stuff that the 'voice' was saying? Here's a hint: You will be able to decode it if you could decode the message on the Mirror of Erised from the book _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ (or _Philosopher's Stone_ for my British readers). I'll provide a translation in the next chapter. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** I kind of like KHCoM. Of course, I'm still in Traverse Town… Anyway, you'll soon find that I cut off my chapters at critical moments. I like to keep the readers guessing.

**Panny Savage:** YES! Thank you! Soul Vagabond and I have been saying that about Tifa for ages! THANK YOU! Ahem… Yeah, Kali and Daj should meet up next chapter or early in the one after that. Yeah, I liked the Meteor smiting, too.

**Arcander:** Aw, thanks! It makes me feel so good when people enjoy my work. You won't have to wait long for updates in this story until much later; I still have plenty of ideas for this one.

**Merielle:** He's in the next one. Or at least, he will be briefly at the end, if not sooner.

**Mediciner:** Okay, I explained earlier in the chapter. Better? ((rereads review)) So yeah, you were right. And I'm glad to see you updating more now! As for FF7DoC, it's going to star Vincent and Cait Sith. All I know so far is that there are a group of people who were either trapped or hiding out (different sites say different things) in/under Midgar when Meteor hit. The men, called Deep Ground (DG) soldiers, didn't come out until three years went by; Two years after AC. They begin attacking peaceful towns, and so Vinny has to fight back. I have no clue what Cait Sith is doing there, but I think Reeve is in there, too (he kind of has to be for CS to be there, huh?), because some scans have been released showing a man that looks like him. Other than that, I have no idea. Oh, and it looked like it's going to be a shooter game, not ATB. And there's a woman attached to a big machine. Anda guy that looks like a cross between Amarant Coral (FF9) and Mr. Hyde. And… How bout I shut up?

**NM:** Next chapter, be ready for the translation of the voice, Kadaj, and (maybe) the identity of the shadow revealed (you all probably know who, but the characters don't, so there!).

Review!

NINJA MAGE


	11. Fate Begins

****

Chapter 11

Fate Begins

"Hey, did anyone hear that?" Kali asked suddenly. Everyone looked up at her and stared nervously.

"Hear what?" Cid inquired. Kali began turning red at his reply.

"That voice. It was speaking another language, I think. You didn't hear it?"

"No. Kali, are you feeling okay?" Reno asked gently.

".eci ovym raehn aces ley do boN .em raehn ace nolau oY .d'nim ru oy ni maI uoyd lotI"

"There! You heard it, didn't you? Yuffie?" Kali begged as she stood. Her friends only stared.

"You've had a long, miserable day. You must be tired," Yuffie said gently. "Why don't you go to sleep now?"

"No! I'm not hearing things! Somebody's talking to me!"

"?d'nat sred nuu oyod ,em raehn ace nolau oY .em fowon kotto neray ehT !t'nel iseB"

"Please, tell me you heard that!"

"!ec neliS"

"Stop it, whoever you are! Shut up!" Kali yelled. She covered her ears with her hands and knelt to the ground. Her ears were beginning to burn.

"!putuhs ,ilaK"

"Kali, are you okay?" Yuffie asked worriedly. She ran over, pulled Kali's hands away, and screamed. "Reno! Rude! Cid! Get over here!"

"Oh, shit," Rude moaned when he saw Kali's ears. They were bleeding heavily.

"!t'nel iseb woN .emot g'nin etsilt onroft nem hsi nupru oy sisihT ?ee su oY"

"Kali! Kali! Snap out of it!" Cid yelled. Kali could hardly hear him for the blood in her ears. She felt as if she was under water. With a shiver and sharp intake of breath, Kali's eyes rolled back and she fainted and laid still, her breathing shallow and uneven. In her unconsciousness, she could hear the voice once more before falling under completely.

".eva hyda erlau oyt cafnI .ya demos flese ur tyme esl li wu oY .fle sru oy otem pe ektah tret fA .ody amu oyl lasit ahT .s'dro wyme tals nart otmeh t'k'sA .ye bod nanet sil ,ilaK .net sil tono du oyfi yme neru oyeb nacIt ub ,d'ne irfa maI .emy ebosid tonoD"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali? Can you hear me?" Cid whispered. Kali opened her eyes slowly and found him standing over her.

"What happened? I heard a voice and blacked out."

"Your ears were bleeding," he said. He smiled jokingly at her. "Have you been sticking things in them that you shouldn't have?"

"What's wrong with me?" she whispered as she sat up. "Everything was perfect until Vincent brought me here. Then I started hearing this voice and having these dreams."

"What dreams? Are they bad?"

"Yes and no. My father has been in most of them. In the last one I said goodbye to Vincent. The one I had last night, my father died and I turned into this… monster."

"The one that looked like the Safer Sephiroth, right?" Reno spoke up as he came over to them.

"You knew?" Cid asked as he looked up at him.

"Only that one. I never knew about the voice or the other dreams. You sure you're going to be okay?" he asked Kali as he knelt. She pushed his hand away as he brushed her face.

"My guardian died only a little while ago. I have no parents or official guardian. My best friend is on a planet who-knows-how-far-away. I'm beginning to go crazy," she moaned. She curled into a ball and buried her face in her arms.

"Kali, relax. Everyone feels that way at some point. You're just at the age where it effects you more," Cid said comfortingly. Kali stood angrily and walked into the church in silence.

"Yuffie, you're a woman. Go talk to her," Reno told her. Yuffie shook her head.

"She needs time," Yuffie whispered, beginning to walk off into the ruins, "just like I do."

"I feel bad for them," Rude muttered. "They really liked him."

"Sure did," Reno agreed. He sighed. "We all liked Vincent. He was a good soul."

"Let's just get some sleep," Cid suggested. The three of them pulled out their sleeping bags and laid close to the fire while Yuffie wandered the once bustling city and Kali cried silently in the church. She slowly fell asleep.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

".uoy woh sots g'nih temo seva hI .ihsanaN maI .ilaK ,ol leH"

"Who are you?" Kali whispered.

".ihsanaN maI .d'ne irfa maI .uoyd lotI"

"Please. I don't understand you. What does 'ihsanaN maI' mean?"

".ees ot de enu oys g'nih tem oser aer ehT .koolt suJ …re taL"

Kali looked around for the source of the noise, but found none. Instead, she found herself in a hotel room. She noticed two people in a bed across the room. With a sick feeling in her stomach, she walked up and recognized her parents, sleeping soundly. Her father had his arms around her mother tightly. She held his hands and both were smiling in their sleep. Kali laid a hand on her dad's shoulder, but it went through. She looked at her hands and realized that they were semi-transparent. As she lowered them, the scene changed.

She was now in a forest, five people in front of her. Vincent stood a short distance from a portal while Anima and Luben stood and watched as two other people kissed and embraced in the middle. Kali watched sadly as her father walked towards Vincent and they left. Her mother began sobbing uncontrollably when they were gone.

Without warning, Kali was standing in a coliseum. She heard a moan by her feet and looked down to see her father, bleeding badly and crying in pain. Vincent was running to him. Kali had to suppress a giggle; his legs were very long compared to the rest of his body, and thus he took incredibly long strides. He knelt by Sephiroth and began shaking as he surveyed the damage.

The next event Kali saw was when Vincent buried Sephiroth. Kadaj was sitting on the ground, tears pouring down his face. Kali wanted very badly to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay, but she knew he would not feel it. As he and Vincent prayed, Kali sat behind Kadaj and wrapped her arms around him anyway. She nearly fell over as he disappeared.

Kali now stood in a room that she didn't recognize. On the shelves were figures of people she had never seen. After a quick glance, she saw one of her father. She looked to the computers and knew where she was; this was Anima's home. Anima was standing against the wall and Luben sat in front of one computer. Kali's breath was caught in her chest for a moment when she saw her mother. Michiko's stomach was larger than it should have been. In an instant, Kali knew; she was the one causing the growth. Without warning, Michiko, who had been talking casually, grew wide-eyed and then closed them, screamed and fell over, her hand going to her stomach. Anima ran to her side while Luben called the doctor. Again, the scene changed.

Kali looked around to see her mother lying still in a bed, doctors surrounding her. Kali watched silently as one carried a tiny infant away. Kali followed as time seemed to fast-forward again. Kali had just entered the room where her infant self had gone when Vincent and Michiko came in. Kali closed her eyes as she listened to her mother crying over her tiny daughter.

Kali opened her eyes to see her mother sobbing even harder than she had been a moment ago. She trembled when she saw why; the infant was lying perfectly still in the incubator. No, not perfectly still; deathly still. Kali began walking backwards when she saw herself die. She covered her eyes and shook her head violently. She opened them to see her mother and Madam Sharmila discussing her and the letter. Kali sighed longingly as she watched the night her angel died and Devin found her. She wanted him badly at that moment.

"?titu obao du oyl liwt ahW .g'ni ebru oy ot delt aht g'nih tyre vew onku oy woN"

"What are you telling me? I don't know what you're saying."

"…ror rimeh tot kooL"

Kali, whose eyes had been lowered in shock and acceptance, saw a glint of light and looked up. There was a mirror that had mysteriously appeared. She walked up to it.

".ilaK ,ol leH" the voice said. Kali gasped as the words showed up in the air in front of her. She stared at the mirror and, as she began to wake, saw the mirror image:

"Hello, Kali."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali opened her eyes and blinked sleepily. She remembered what the voice showed her about her life. She shivered and muttered to herself.

"Vincent, why didn't you tell me I died? What else have you kept from me?" she moaned. She began making designs in the dust that had gathered on a piece of wood. A shadowy figure was watching from the shadow as she drew. He began to walk up to her when another figure frightened him into hiding.

"Kali?" said a voice from the doorway. Rude walked up and sat next to her. "You okay?" he asked. She looked up and shook her head.

"I thought you'd be asleep."

"Couldn't. I'm too worried about you."

"Why?"

" Why not? You're a good kid."

"Thanks. But I'm not as good as you think," she muttered. Kali stared off into space. Rude glanced down at the wood.

"What's that?"

"Huh?" Kali glanced at him. She looked back at the wood and her eyes widened. The writing said:

'…tit fiL .ihsanaN em lla cy amu oY .d'ne irfa maI .ydo bon maI'

"I don't know," she whispered. A thought struck her. "Rude, do you have a mirror?"

"No. Yuffie might."

"I need to borrow one. I think I know how to tell what it says," she said as she stood. She walked out of the church. "Yuffie?" she called. Kali looked around, but she only saw Cid curled up by the fire.

"We'll ask in the morning," Rude yawned as he wrapped up in a blanket.

Kali sat next to him and closed her eyes. Rude stared into the fire and jumped at a movement next to him. Kali had fallen asleep and fell against him. He smiled and wrapped the blanket and an arm around her.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Reno walked slowly through the destroyed buildings. He glanced around, but was unable to find Yuffie. He was about to give up and go back when he heard a sob a short distance away. He walked deeper into the wreckage and found Yuffie sobbing her heart out. She was sitting in the middle of what used to be the Seventh Heaven bar. Reno wrapped his arms around her slowly. Yuffie didn't acknowledge him. She cried hard and Reno noticed that the knuckles of her clasped hands were white. He sat next to her and took her hands. He gently opened them and found the cross. He sighed and looked into her face.

"Yuffie, let go," he whispered gently. She continued to cry. "Yuffie, you're breaking my heart crying like this. Please, let go. Vincent wouldn't want to see you like this, would he?"

"No," she whispered sadly. "He wouldn't. I just can't let him go. He was the first man I loved. You don't let go of the first person you care deeply for that easily, especially after you've…" she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"I know you were sleeping with him," Reno said. Yuffie looked at him. "I don't care. I'm glad the two of you had the time before one of you died."

"Sure you're glad. You've wanted me a long time. I know it, so don't lie."

"You don't understand," Reno said quietly. He held her hand. "I love you, Yuffie. I understand that you loved Vincent before you did me. Yuffie, even if Vincent hadn't died, I'd want you to be happy. If you chose him over me, I would understand. Please, don't cry. It hurts me when you do. I hate seeing your beautiful face so sad."

"I can't help it."

"Yuffie," Reno muttered. He gently lifted her face and looked her in the eye. He kissed her softly. Yuffie began to return it, but laid a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away. He looked somewhat hurt.

"I'm sorry, Reno," she whispered. She looked it. "I need time to get over this."

"I know," he whispered. He hugged Yuffie and held her tight. "We all need a little time," he said soothingly. He began to kiss her neck comfortingly, but stopped when he felt two raised scars. He gently ran his fingers over them and muttered sadly, "He bit you."

"Yeah. Reno?" she said as he stood.

"That son of a bitch bit you. Why didn't you try and stop him?"

"Reno, I told him to. I thought that maybe if he had a reason to stay alive, he wouldn't go to Midgar. I was wrong. Reno, I'm the one that has to live with this. If you want to live forever with me, I'll bite you, too. Just say the word."

"I'm going to bed," he whispered.

"Reno, I admit that I need time before I make love with you," Yuffie muttered. She ran in front of him and kissed him. "But I love you, too."

They stood like that for about five minutes in the moonlight before they walked back to the campsite in silence. Neither of them realized until they saw the light of the fire that they had walked hand-in-hand the entire way. They smiled at each other and began to laugh when they saw what had happened in their absence. Kali was curled up tightly next to Rude. They were both fast asleep and smiling softly. Reno and Yuffie wrapped up in his sleeping bag and fell asleep quickly to the sound of Cid's snoring. Nobody saw the figure in the church, the blue eyes staring jealously at Rude and Kali.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali? Get up," Rude muttered. She moaned and opened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. My arm's asleep."

"Oh, sorry," she smiled apologetically. She stood up and stretched. Looking around, she saw the others beginning to stir.

"We're going to find a train in a little while. You might want to get packed," Yuffie called. She was already up and moving, the remains of the fire put out and her bags loaded onto a cycle. She was eating a light meal and offered some to their waking friends.

Kali sighed as she remembered the past day's events. She closed her eyes and breathed the morning air in deeply to calm her nerves. She furrowed her brow as she noticed a lightness on her chest and neck. Her hand went to her neck and she realized something; she had left the necklace on the hill.

"Everyone, we have to go back to the graves. I left my necklace."

"It's only jewelry," Reno said. He yawned loudly. "No big deal."

"We could all die if I don't show it to Kadaj when we meet," Kali said quietly. They all stared at each other before hurrying to finish packing. Kali glanced around the camp. She was startled to see a shadowy figure in the church. "Hello?"

"Who are you talking to?" Yuffie asked. Kali walked closer to the doorway.

"Hello?" she called again. The figure took a step into the shadows. "Come on out. I won't hurt you. Who are you?"

"Kal…" he said quietly, his voice cracking. She furrowed her brow at the sound of it. The stranger reached his hand towards her.

"How do you know my name?" she whispered, extending her own hand to take it.

"Kali?" Yuffie said worriedly as their fingertips touched, drowning out the man's answer. Kali turned to look at her.

"There's a man in here," she replied. Kali looked inside the church again, but it was empty. "Hey! Where are you?"

"Kali, let's just go get your necklace and find Kadaj. I don't feel right being here," Cid muttered.

Kali sighed heavily and turned to her friends. She sat with Cid and they began to ride back towards the hill. As they rode off, the man stood in the rafters and watched them through a hole in the wall. A woman in white materialized behind him.

"You see?" she whispered. She laid a hand on his shoulder and continued. "She doesn't know you, nor does she care. You have no reason to protect her. If you do, remember that until you redeem yourself for the ship and mansion…" she trailed off, a hand running over the metal collar on his neck. He nodded his understanding. "Good. Now, you know what to do."

"Yes, mistress," he muttered. She left as suddenly as she had come before he climbed down and began to walk calmly after the five people.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Got it," Kali called over the side of the hill. She hooked the necklace around her neck as she returned to her friends. Rude stared through a pair of binoculars, attempting to find a train. He froze.

"There," he pointed. Each of them took turns to see a train stopped in a station a good distance away. "I'd say we have about twenty minutes to get there before it leaves."

"Let's go then," Reno insisted.

They hurried onto the bikes and sped towards the train station. During the ride, they were delayed by several creatures that attacked them. By the time they reached the station half-an-hour later, the train was two miles away and going further every moment.

"What now?" Yuffie whined. They gazed up at the arrival and departure times.

"The next train doesn't come for three hours," Reno sighed. He leaned against the wall. "I guess we wait."

"No," Kali shook her head. She sat on the cycle again. "I want to find Kadaj. I must speak with him."

"Kali, we're tired," Rude moaned.

"Yeah, the past two days have been rough," Cid agreed. Kali revved up Reno's cycle.

"Then I'm going by myself."

"Kali, hold it!" Reno snapped. He stood in front of her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "We don't have tickets. We don't even know if we can catch up to the train that just left. There's nothing to do but wait."

"Why?" Rude whispered, an idea forming in his head. "We can sneak on. It'll be just like the old days."

"Hmm," Reno smiled. "Sneaking onto a train just like the Turks? Not bad, Rude. First good idea you've gotten in awhile."

"Hey!"

"Let's go before it gets farther ahead," Cid commanded. Yuffie stared at them.

"What about the bikes?"

"I have rope. We'll tie them to the train as we jump on and pull them up once we're on," Reno suggested. Everyone looked at each other. "Do you have any better suggestions?"

Nobody did, so they quickly leapt onto the cycles and rode after the train. They were going so fast, Kali was struggling to stay on the bike with Cid, even with his arm around her. They rode for about ten minutes before they caught up with the train. Rude and Yuffie were first to get on. He tied a rope with a loop to a post on the end car and motioned for Yuffie to jump. She leapt onto the train and began to fall, but Reno rode up and pushed her back. She grabbed the rope that held Rude's cycle as he turned it off and jumped. Together, they pulled the bike up before it fell to the ground. They did the same thing for Reno, but as Cid came up with Kali, he drove over the railing of the tracks, lost balance, and Kali began to slip.

"Cid!" she yelled. He didn't hear her over the roar of the train and bike. He struggled to regain control. When they began to tip over, he grabbed Kali and jumped. As he landed, Kali's foot caught on the bike handle. "My foot's stuck!" she cried in pain.

"Hold on!" they yelled, Rude grabbing her wrist. Cid reached down and managed to knock the bike away with his spear, leaving it to lie on the tracks, but there was a loud crack as Kali's ankle twisted. She screamed loudly.

"Ah! Help!" she called, tears of pain streaming down her face. Reno leaned over and looked towards the engine of the train.

"Um, guys? I think we have a problem. There's a curve up ahead."

"Get me up! I'm slipping!"

"Hold on," Rude groaned. The others reached for her, but they were too late. Without warning, they were beginning to go around the curve and Kali slipped from Rude's grasp.

Kali felt herself fall slowly at first, but as she lost contact with the train altogether, time fast-forwarded and she suddenly felt her broken ankle give out under her as she tried to land on her feet. Kali rolled a short distance and hit her head on the metal track. As she fell unconscious, she caught a glimpse of the men holding Yuffie back as she tried to jump and help Kali. Kali watched them disappear around the corner completely before her sight faded to pitch black.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali slowly opened her eyes only three hours later to find a pair of boots in front of her. She slowly looked up as she rolled from her stomach to her side and began to cry when she saw who it was. His blue eyes were wet and tears were trickling down his face while his brown hair blew in the wind despite the ponytail. He swallowed, making the collar around his neck twitch slightly.

"Devin," she whispered. He smiled sadly at her and nodded. "How did you get here?"

"The same way you did," he said quietly. He knelt next to her and kissed her on the lips softly. She resisted laughing at the tickle of his moustache and began to wrap her arms around him. He pushed them off gently.

"Devin, you have to help me," she gasped. "My ankle's broken. I can't walk."

"I know," he said as he stood. He was trembling as the ground shook ever so slightly.

"There's a train coming. If you don't help me up, I'll be hit."

"I know," he said again, the tremors of both his body and the ground growing ever more violent.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, tears beginning to flow as he walked away.

"I'm sorry. Goodbye, Kali," he whispered. He walked off along the train tracks and stopped at the other side of the curve.

Kali knew what he was doing as soon as he sat down on them. He was letting her die, and he would join her moments later. Kali cried silently and closed her eyes, the blackness returning. She partially opened her eyes a minute later at the sound of an engine, but her vision was blurred with tears. She looked over to see the lamp of the train bearing down on her, only three hundred yards away now. She shakily took off the necklace and put it in her pocket.

Two hundred and fifty…

She looked over at Devin and saw a figure in white pulling him away.

Two hundred…

Kali closed her eyes as Devin fell to the ground, his hands struggling with the collar and screaming. His yelling stopped and he slowly followed the woman.

One fifty…

Kali noticed that her hands felt wet. She reached behind her head again and glanced at her fingertips. They were covered with her blood. She closed her eyes and tried not to be afraid.

One hundred…

Footsteps were running towards her.

Fifty…

Kali clenched her eyes shut as she felt herself trembling from both fear and the vibrations of the train. As the train came within twenty-five yards, she heard boots rushing across metal and wood. She felt strong arms wrap around her and, without stopping, lift her close to the owner's chest. Her rescuer flew across the other side of the track and they landed hard as the train hurried past. Kali opened her eyes slowly to catch a brief glimpse of him before she fell unconscious again. His hood fell back and she saw his full face for the first time. his eyes were closed as he held her tightly. His silver hair blocked part of his face from her view, but she was relieved to know what he looked like. As the train passed and she fell unconscious, he opened his bright green eyes and she gazed into them. From her viewpoint, his face was kind and gentle. He smiled softly. He didn't need her to say what she wanted to, for her eyes said it all as they closed.

"You're welcome, kid," he said quietly. He picked her up and began walking back to his motorcycle across the tracks.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Okay, now we all know who the shadowy figure is. Right?

**All:** Right!

**NM:** Okay, no disclaimers. Except I don't own the rights to anything in this story except Kali, Devin, and, until the movie comes out and we know how he _really_ acts, Kadaj's attitude. Okay, maybe not his 'tude. Oh, and as for him leaving Kali to die, you'll understand as the story progresses if you don't get it already. Oh, and the 'collar of control' that he's wearing is in no way related to the prayer beads that Inuyasha wears. K? Anyway, here's what you want to know:

**Panny Savage:** She doesn't wear a bra? I didn't know that… ((shudder)) I think it's possible to move that way, but it must hurt a lot! XD Anyway, there might be a couple of flashbacks with Vinny and he might be back… ((shifty eyes)) You might understand later, if I put it in. And the caped guy is back now! Whoo-hoo! Course, he did just leave Kali to die, but that's beside the point!

**Mediciner:** No problem. Yeah, I suck at FPS too. Can't wait to fight Maleficent… ((rolls eyes))

**Sayahiei:** No problem about ranting. I do it all the time. You may have noticed that I tend to go off on tangents in my replies and author notes and… yeah. Sorry for killing him! But it does add emotional stuff to the fic. Oh, and KH2 comes out next September, so hold on!

**Kizna1200:** Okay, first of all, sorry for making you cry! On the other hand, I do feel good for writing something so emotional for once… But my guilt is dominating! I thought about Al Bhed at first, but I decided against it. Instead, I thought about Harry Potter and… yeah.

**NM:** Next chapter brings a proper bro/sis introduction and Kali _finally_ translates the messages from the voice.

Review!

NINJA MAGE


	12. Torturous Alliance

****

Chapter 12

Torturous Alliance

Kali slowly tried to open her eyes. Her lids were heavy, and so they only opened halfway. She stared up at the night sky through the trees. To her right, she could hear the sound of a crackling fire. She curled up tighter and felt something on her head slip. She reached up slowly and felt a cold, wet cloth against her forehead. There was another one behind her head, but this one, instead of being wet and cold, was warm and covered in dry blood. She twitched her foot and took a sharp breath. It hurt incredibly and she slowly tried to move it to the sides. She was unable, and as she looked down at it, she saw that there were two pieces of wood on either side of her ankle, both strapped to her foot with a thick bandage. Kali laid back with a light sigh and closed her eyes. A hand on her shoulder made her open them again.

"I see you're awake," said a voice. Kali rolled over, lost her balance, and nearly fell to the ground. Kadaj held the hammock steady while she turned to look at him. He was staring at her. "I wrapped up your foot," he said quietly as Kali looked her brother over.

Despite his being in his thirties, Kali noticed that his skin was rather smooth and youthful, his face hardly unlike that of a man in his twenties, perhaps even teens. He had a single scar across his left cheek that she suspected was a gift from Cloud. His silver hair reached down to his shoulders and his bangs swept across his face, partially hiding his right side and nose. He wore black leather pants and boots. His leather coat had a split in the back and reached down to his ankles, but it was unzipped in the front. Underneath, Kali saw a bandage wrapped around his bare torso. He noticed her watching and sighed before turning away.

"All thanks to you."

"Thank you," she whispered, "for saving my life earlier."

"If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have done it."

"Known what?"

"Look kid," he said. He turned to stare at her and Kali noticed that his eyes were hard and cold, the softness she had seen before completely gone. "I saved you because I was curious about who you are. I know now that you're a clone of my father. You can stay until your foot is better. Then you have to leave," he said finally. Kali helplessly watched him sit in front of the fire and dig around in his bag.

She stretched and gazed at the stars as Kadaj began heating his dinner. She sighed quietly and thought about the past few days. She met her mother hours before her death. Vincent was gone. Her brother had no idea who she was. Devin was here on the planet. Kali had died as a baby. She jumped when Kadaj came back.

"If you want to eat, tell me."

"Okay," she muttered. She thought a moment before getting up and following him. She tried to keep her balance to avoid further injury to her foot. "What makes you think I'm a clone?"

"You are very much like my father," he shrugged without facing her.

"So are you, but you're his kid," she retaliated as she swayed on the spot.

"My mother had the same features as him. She, too, had silver hair and green eyes."

"Kadaj, I-"

"How did you know my name?" he asked, turning suddenly.

"Kadaj, you have to listen to me. I know your name because…" she hesitated, "I'm… your sister," she finally said slowly. She knew then that she had begun too quickly. Kadaj stopped dead and glared at her before shaking his head.

"No way. You're a teenager. My father died twenty years ago. He couldn't have had another kid. My mother… I don't know if she's even alive or how long she's been dead if she isn't living."

"I know that you tried to bring dad back seventeen years ago. You almost died at the hands of Cloud, but Vincent saved your life."

"Anyone could have found that out."

"I exist because daddy came back fifteen years ago and left the Planet to flee from Cloud-"

"Quit calling him 'dad.'"

"-he came to a planet called Jahan-"

"Stop it."

"-he fucked around with my mom-"

"Oh, shut up!"

"-and I popped out of her seven months later."

"Now I know you're lying. Your mother would have been pregnant nine months, not seven."

"I was premature, Kadaj! It does happen occasionally, you know!"

"I don't need to listen to this. You seem to be capable of caring for yourself. Goodbye," he snapped as he began to walk briskly away.

"Kadaj, look at me," she commanded. Kali grabbed his wrist and made him look at her. They stared into each other's similar feline eyes. "Do you see lying in my eyes?"

"If we're brother and sister, then why have you been running from me?"

"Because I wasn't supposed to meet you until now."

"Ridiculous. What proof do you have of such a relationship?" he asked. Kali immediately reached around her neck, but the necklace was gone. Kadaj chuckled. "How can I believe you if you have no proof?"

"Wait," she said, reaching a hand into her pocket. She pulled out the necklace. "Recognize this?" she inquired, dangling the object in front of his face. Kadaj took it carefully in his hands and stared at it.

"My necklace…" he muttered. He turned it over and Kali thought she saw tears in his eyes. He shook his head. "My father was buried with this. Anyone could have found him and dug it up."

"Then step back," she ordered. Kadaj walked away as Kali pulled out Masamune. "There. Does that prove it?"

"Masamune," he whispered. Kadaj ran a hand along the blade and closed his eyes, speaking quietly as he walked the length and back. "I remember that as a child, father would let me watch him train with this. I wanted very badly to use it myself, but I never gained the strength. When we tried to bring him back, I attempted to lift it, but I could not," he opened his eyes as he stopped in front of Kali. "Such a beautiful and destructive weapon. May I try again to hold it?"

"Of course," she nodded. She handed him the blade. Kali struggled to suppress a laugh as the blade hit the ground with a dull thud and he struggled to pick it up. He stared at her when she lifted it with ease.

"You truly are his child, aren't you?" he said. Kali nodded.

"I hope that you will at least care for me a short time. It's what daddy wants."

"How do you know?"

"I've talked to him in my dreams. I got the necklace from Vincent after he was visited by daddy," she explained as she took the trinket and put it back around her neck. "Everything he ever told my mom and Vincent has come true, so I suspect that everything I know must as well."

"Vincent? What does he have to do with us?"

"Everything," she whispered. At the mention of Vincent, she knelt to the ground and began to cry.

"What's the matter?" he asked gently, kneeling and laying a hand upon her shoulder.

"Vincent and I came here about a week ago. We went to Nibelheim and met Cloud and his friends. Cloud was killed the first night we were there."

"He's dead?" Kadaj repeated in glad disbelief. Kali nodded and slowly recounted what she had been through so far.

"Yesterday, I was sitting by father's grave and I watched Tifa and Vincent fight. "She…" Kali bit her lower lip as she began to cry again. "She cut off his arm… and… shot him in the head. He's dead."

"What?" Kadaj gasped. He closed his eyes when Kali said it again. "Not Vincent. Not him. Damn it," he shook his head. "I liked him. He was a pretty good guy."

"He really was. Kadaj, we have to find Yuffie and the others."

"We will. When your ankle heals," he added. Kadaj gazed at her. "You never told me your name."

"Kali," she whispered. Kadaj smiled.

"A pleasure finally learning it."

"I'm tired," she muttered. Her stomach let out a loud growl.

"I guess you're hungry, too," he laughed. "Come here and I'll get you something. It's not the best, but it's food."

He helped her walk to the fire and sit. She nibbled a small loaf of bread while Kadaj stuffed his mouth with dried fruit from his rations. They were silent for a long time.

"Kadaj, do you have a mirror?"

"No, sorry. My looks are the least of my worries living out here."

"Damn. I need to figure something out. Do you at least have some paper and a pen or pencil?"

"Yeah, in my bag. Why?"

Kali didn't answer. She tossed the last bite of bread into her mouth, reached into the bag, and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. By the light of the fire, she forced herself to remember the words of the voice. Kadaj sat next to her and read over her shoulder. When she finished writing, Kadaj glared at her.

"What the hell does all of that mean?"

"I don't know. That's why I need a mirror. I've been hearing this voice for the past two days and it told me this morning that a mirror will translate it."

"We should work on this tomorrow. It's getting late," Kadaj yawned. Indeed, the moon was high in the sky. Kadaj stood and picked up his sword. Kali stared.

"Wait," she said. She stood shakily and reached towards his sword. "Is it polished?"

"Yes," he nodded slowly. He caught on.

"A mirror," they said together.

Kadaj threw the scabbard aside and handed it to her. She sat with the double blade and laid the paper over it, leaving just enough space to see the result. Kadaj wrote the translations on another sheet. When they were done recording, Kadaj guessed at the words, separating and connecting them accordingly. When they read it, the words looked something like this:

Lif-t/it… I/am nob-ody. I/am a/fri-end. Yo-u/ma-y/c-all me Nanashi. I/am not fu-ckin-g/wi-th/yo-ur mind. I/can-not/s-how myself. Yo-u/see I/am in/yo-ur mind. Now lift the/s-word. I/am nob-ody. I/am now-he-re… Yo-u/are/w-rong. Yo-u/stil-l/hav-e/muc-h/to/d-o/so/ver-y/muc-h/to/l-ear-n/an-d/achi-eve. Yo-u/are/n-ot/even clos-e/to/be-ing fin-ished. I/tol-d/you I/am in yo-ur mind. Yo-u/alon-e/ca-n/hear me. Nob-od-y/el-se/ca-n/hear my/vo-ice. Be/si-lent! The-y/are/n-ot/to/k-now/of me. Yo-u/alon-e/ca-n/hear me, do/yo-u/un-ders-tand? Silen-ce! Kali, shut/up! Yo-u/s-ee? This/is yo-ur/pun-ish-men-t/for/no-t/liste-ning to/me. Now be/si-lent. Do/not disobe-y/me. I/am a/fri-end, bu-t/I/can be/yo-ur/en-emy if/yo-u/d-o/not lis-ten. Kali, lis-ten/an-d/ob-ey. Ask/t-hem/to tran-slat-e/my/w-ords. Tha-t/is/al-l/yo-u/ma-y/do. Af-ter/t-hat/ke-ep me/to yo-urs-elf. Yo-u/w-il-l/se-e/my/t-ru-e/self some/d-ay. In/fac-t/yo-u/alre-ady/h-ave. Hel-lo, Kali. I/am Nanashi. I/h-ave/s-ome/t-hing-s/to/s-how you. I/tol-d/you. I/am a/fri-end. I/am Nanashi. Lat-er… Jus-t/look. The-re/a-re/so-me/t-hing-s/yo-u/ne-ed to see. Now yo-u/kno-w/ev-ery/t-hing tha-t/led to yo-ur/be-ing. Wha-t/wil-l/yo-u/d-o/abo-ut/it? Look to/t-he/mir-ror… Hel-lo, Kali.

"Is the voice male or female?" Kadaj asked when Kali read it aloud.

"I'm really not sure. It sounds feminine, but it's deep and echoes in my head. I don't know what it is."

"It said its name is Nanashi."

"Nanashi…" Kali said slowly. "I've heard that name before," she muttered. She snapped her fingers. "It means 'without name.' The woman who owned the orphanage I grew up at would call any nameless child that came to us 'Nanashi' until the parents showed up, the kid remembered it, or she came up with one."

"This is weird," Kadaj shook his head. He put his sword away and laid it in the hammock. "We should get some sleep. Hey," he turned to face her and smiled, "sis?"

"Huh?" she gasped. He was grinning.

"Come here and I'll help you get back up in here."

"You called me 'sis,'" she whispered. Kadaj sighed and helped her up into the hammock.

"You say that's what you are, right? Only a child with my father's strength can wield that sword. Besides, what choice do I have but to believe one who holds such a magnificent power?" he laughed. He picked her up and laid her in the net. Kali took the necklace from around her neck and handed it to him.

"You should have this back."

"No, you keep it."

"Kadaj, daddy made this for_ you_, not me. I have his sword. You take the necklace."

"Thank you," he whispered. He carefully put it around his neck, tears filling his eyes as he remembered his father. Kadaj lie next to her and held her close, one hand clutching hers and the other holding his sword hilt in case of an attack.

"Kadaj?"

"Yeah?"

"How far are we from the tracks?" she asked quietly.

"Not too far. Why?"

"I want to see if my bags are still there. I was riding with Cid and we lost his bike on the tracks. There are some things I want out of there."

"We can go out there in the morning."

"Thank you, Kadaj."

"You know, I'm glad you're here. I've felt very alone since dad died," he said quietly.

"Good night," she whispered, not seeming to hear him.

"Good night, kid," he replied with a slight laugh.

She fell asleep quickly, but Kadaj lie there for an hour, staring from the sky to the fire to Kali's face. He couldn't tell why, but he somehow knew as soon as she told him that she was truly his sister. He finally closed his eyes and fell asleep, glad that his father had not left him all alone after all.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Come, child. Be not afraid, for you will soon be at peace."

"Devin," Kali panted, her footsteps hitting the ground heavily and rhythmically. "I have to find him."

"Come to fulfill your duty to the Planet."

"Devin," she called weakly, for she had been running barefoot for ages and her energy was beginning to fail her.

"He will not answer. You are far too late."

"I must save him…"

"He is already a dead man, even though he still walks the Planet."

"Devin! Where are you?" Kali gasped in fear. She looked around to find him standing on a cliff with a beautiful meadow below, his arms spread wide, his hands reaching towards the heavens, and his back to her.

"All of this," he whispered. "All of this to be had. Only one person stands in the way."

"What are you talking about? Devin, come away, please!" Kali pleaded.

"No," he said, his voice mixing with a woman's. "I think I will stay here."

Kali ran up to him, but stopped as he faced her. His eyes were burning with blue fire, and the collar around his neck was glowing silver. He was smiling menacingly, his head bowed slightly to make him look even more terrifying. Behind him, Kali watched as the land turned from a peaceful meadow to a flaming pit. She shook.

"Devin, what are you doing?"

"Freeing myself from your weak love," he whispered.

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Kali grabbed for him as he allowed himself to fall backwards over the edge. At the last moment, he reached a hand out and a chain sprung from the ground. It wrapped itself around Kali's ankle and Devin's wrist, thus dragging her to the flame with him. A few hundred yards before they hit bottom, the collar around his neck blew up and everything else went black.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali awoke with a start, and, feeling her forehead, found herself in a cold sweat. She closed her eyes and cried silently, making herself stay as still as possible to avoid waking her brother. Kali finally managed to fall back into an uneasy sleep, the dream returning a few minutes later to finish while Kadaj tried to wake her.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali's eyes fluttered open slowly. She stood carefully to see Devin standing a few yards away. He held the remains of the collar in his hand and dropped it, the metal turning to dust and blowing away. He stared at her with his icy blue eyes. Kali wanted him to stop, to forget whatever madness had overtaken him, but she knew it was not to be. He raised a hand again and flicked his wrist. Chains shot out from the rock wall behind her and Kali was being pulled back against it. She struggled against her bonds, Devin only watching.

After a fast-forwarded half-an-hour went by, Kali stopped fighting. Her wrists and ankles were bloody beyond belief. Kali spit and saw blood present even in the liquid. She looked up as Devin walked towards her. He brushed his fingertips along her neck and showed them to her. They were covered in blood.

"She was correct," he whispered as he licked the blood from his fingers. "You may be the child of a demigod, but you are still only human."

"Devin, what are you doing? We're friends, remember? Remember the promise you made me? You're my guardian angel."

"Then why did you leave without a word?" he muttered. Devin turned and glared at her. "You spoke little of me to your new friends. Had you forgotten?"

"Devin…" Kali said as gently as she could. Her vision was beginning to blur. As she struggled to keep them open, she watched a white figure emerge from the smoke behind him. "Leave us be," Kali hissed, though she didn't know why.

"Do as you wish with her at first. You know what to do afterwards," she whispered to him, a hand on his shoulder. Devin nodded.

"Of course, mistress," he replied as he threw back his cloak. Across his chest was a leather strap that also wrapped around his waist. Hanging off of these straps were daggers. Dozens of daggers, one of which he reached for now. Kali began to tremble as her friend came at her.

"Kadaj, please, help, anyone," Kali muttered. Devin laughed.

"He will not come," he said. "Nobody will."

"What?"

"Observe," the woman in white said. She directed Kali's attention to the mist where a group of terrible creatures were standing. Kali made them out to be vampires and zombies. Each of them held in their arms the head of one of her friends. She screamed at the sight of her brother's bloody skull as one of the zombies held it up to make sure she saw. The creatures were sent away.

"Devin, please," she begged loudly as he came within a foot of her.

Kali shuddered as he tore her tank top open with the dagger. He tore at the clothes until she was completely nude. She closed her eyes as he began to take his own clothes off. She grimaced as he began to rape her, his lips kissing her roughly and painfully. She tried to scream, but her voice was rarely working. Every time she was able to scream, he would glue his lips to hers and keep them there until she was out of breath. She was amazed at how much it hurt to have him finally fucking her, although she knew that this wasn't making love, but some part of an especially painful torture. She sobbed heavily until Devin pulled away from her after what felt like hours. Kali opened her eyes and stared at him in disbelief.

"Devin, why?" she gasped. She swallowed and sobbed. "Why?"

He wasn't listening. Instead, he ran a hand over her bare stomach. He stopped just under her belly button and drew back the dagger he had held the entire time. He brought it forward again powerfully. Kali screamed in pain as it sank into her tender flesh. When he pulled it out, Kali could see her blood covering the weapon. He did this again to her elbows, underarms, wrists, ankles and knees, each blow bringing forth a more painful and siren-like wail. He finally stood back to see what damage he had caused. Kali struggled to keep her eyes open and not to die. She didn't know how much more of this crude torture she was to endure, but she prayed that it would soon end and she was determinedto live to see it.

Devin stared at her left breast for a moment before he laid two fingertips just above it. He ran his digits across her breast for a moment before finally finding her heartbeat. Kali swallowed nervously as he held her face in his free hand, the one holding the dagger marking the place on her breast. Devin kissed her roughly once more before taking a step back, the kiss nothing like he had given her that day on the tracks. He laid the tip of the dagger over her heart and took a breath. Kali trembled as she realized that this was not a breath of remorse or hesitation, but of preparation before delivering the blow. He drew the weapon back. With a powerful thrust, Kali screamed as it broke through her skin, her muscle, her chest plate, and let out one final, short yell as it pierced her heart and she woke up.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali?" Kadaj whispered. She was still fast asleep, despite the bright sunlight on her face. "Kali, get up."

"Let us be," she muttered after a few more minutes of him shaking her. Kadaj furrowed his brow at the use of 'us' and not 'me,' but soon dismissed it as a slip of her waking tongue. He became concerned at the amount of sweat on her head, but dismissed that as well, for the sun was warm, she lay by his side, and she wore her heavy coat.

"If we want to get your stuff, we need to go soon," he pushed her. Kali didn't reply, for she had already fallen back to deep sleep.

He sighed exasperatedly and got up. Kadaj reached into his bags and pulled out a long roll of bandage. He walked down to the nearby river and threw his coat to the side. Painfully, he unwrapped his soiled bandage and washed the wound. He shook his head as he stared at the dagger wound, still scabbing over. Kadaj looked up as he heard a yell from the camp. He waited a moment, and finally decided that his sister was awake and trying to get up, and she had forgotten about her broken ankle. He washed his face and replaced the bandage when Kali limped up behind him. He turned at the sound of her falling to the ground.

"You okay?" he asked as he helped her up. "I heard you yell up at the camp."

"I'll be fine. It was just a bad dream," she sighed shakily. "Are we going or what?"

"Yeah, let me pack up," he nodded. The two of them walked back to the campsite.

Kali sat on his bike while Kadaj put out the remaining embers of fire, put away the hammock, and secured his bag to the cycle. He sat behind her and revved it up. In about an hour, Kadaj and Kali were driving along the tracks, searching for the remains of Cid's motorcycle. When they finally found it, Kali was relieved to find her supplies miraculously intact. The vehicle fared much worse; pieces of metal were strewn across the tracks and field surrounding it. Kadaj loaded it with the rest of his things and began riding in the direction Kali's friends had gone. They rode in silence the entire time, both wondering how Yuffie and the others would react to seeing him again.

As dusk fell, Kadaj stopped and surveyed the destroyed area of Midgar, memories of his childhood home filling his head. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"All because of father," he whispered. He opened them and wrapped an arm gently around Kali. "We should make camp. It's not safe to wander the Planet at night, even for father if he was alive now."

"Where will we stop?" Kali asked. Kadaj only lowered his eyes as he began driving again. Kali's stomach flipped as she realized that he was going towards the hill where the two graves were.

The two of them got off the bike halfway up. Kadaj helped her walk to the top, hesitating as they heard voices. Kadaj grabbed his sword, but Kali laid a hand on his arm when she heard the voice.

"It's Yuffie," she said happily. They ran up the hill (Kali doing so with some difficulty and much support from Kadaj) and, sure enough, Yuffie was sitting by Vincent's grave, talking to him. The other men were sitting on the edge of the hill, gazing over the city and talking quietly. "Yuffie!"

"I really miss you Vi-" Yuffie stopped when she heard her name. She smiled and ran to Kali. "Thank god you're alright!"

"Of course I am," Kali said as Yuffie embraced her. Reno, Rude, and Cid stood and joined them. When they had all welcomed Kali back, they noticed the man standing nearby.

"Kadaj," Rude said finally. Kadaj nodded slowly and looked to him.

"I see you lived through your attack by that man with the daggers."

"How did you know him?" Rude asked in mild surprise. Kadaj smiled.

"I saw you lying on the ground and Kali was yelling for a doctor, so I gave the medics a call," he said calmly. Kali glanced at him before speaking herself.

"Kadaj saved me on the tracks. He picked me up when the train was about to hit me," Kali explained. Reno looked down at her foot, still wrapped up in a splint.

"Couldn't heal her foot, I see."

"I'm not a doctor, nor am I a practitioner of magic," Kadaj muttered. Kali sighed.

"My foot was broken when it caught on Cid's bike," she shrugged. "There's nothing to be done."

"At least you're still alive," Cid said.

Kadaj brushed passed them and knelt at the feet of the graves. Yuffie tensed when he laid a hand on the guns. He closed his eyes and sat very still. Everyone jumped when he finally spoke.

"So he really is gone," he whispered. He slowly opened his eyes and spoke to the grave quietly. "I'm sorry I never repaid you for seventeen years ago."

"Kadaj, you couldn't have done anything even if you had known," Yuffie said gently. He stood and walked over to her. After looking her in the eyes for a second, he smiled slightly.

"You loved him," he said knowingly. "I can see it in your eyes."

Yuffie was taken aback, but soon collected herself and nodded slowly. Kadaj's smile faded, and then he did the last thing any of them expected. He wrapped his arms around Yuffie tightly and struggled to control his trembling shoulders. Yuffie hugged him gently back after a moment of surprise.

"I'm sorry, Yuffie," he whispered. The other men were unable to see it from their viewpoint, but Kali could see clearly that Kadaj was in tears.

"Kadaj, it's okay. I'm sure he's happy," she whispered, but she began crying as well. Kali lowered her eyes.

"Of course he is," she said quietly. Kali didn't have the heart to tell Yuffie that he was now with Lucrecia. Kadaj finally pulled away and stared at his father's grave.

"At least," he began, his red-eyed gaze turning to Kali, "he didn't leave me alone."

"It's getting dark. We should get some sleep," Cid suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and gathered their gear. When they were sitting on the bikes, Kadaj began to cry silently again.

"Goodbye, father and Vincent," he muttered. He held Kali and drove after the others.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** The horror of the story begins to come out. Woot. Yeah, I've been kinda grumpy the last couple days what with midterms coming next week, so I'll just reply to ya'll, k?

**S****ayahiei:** That's U.S. release date, anyway (I'm pretty sure). It'll probably come out sooner in Japan. Maybe we can sign a petition. Or we can tie up the head of production and throw him into a closet until they agree to release it early. And I must agree, midterms suck. Mine are next week, we're reviewing this week, and I'm praying for heavy snow so we'll have next week off.

**Merielle:** If you hadn't, there's a translation earlier in this chapter. Actually… urgh… I really don't want to give away anything about Devin. Just keep in mind that the whole 'Devin rapes Kali then kills her' thing is just a dream. For now… ((shifty eyes)) You'll find out how much, if any, comes true later.

**Panny Savage:** Well, you'll get Kadaj in every chapter from now on (I hope) and yes, it was Devin.

**Mediciner:** Namine, eh? Is she Riku's sister or his bitch? Kidding, kidding. At least about the second part. Sorry, that's all I can think of. That, or do they have a relationship like Sora and Kairi (her heart is in his)? Well, I guess I'll find out when I play. Don't tell me! Just say if I'm close… Take your time with LoKH.

Review!

NINJA MAGE


	13. Forming Plans

****

Chapter 13

Forming Plans

"Kadaj?" Yuffie whispered as she knelt. He continued to sleep, his position much like Vincent's the night before he died, except his legs were crossed instead of straight out. She felt her heart begin to ache at the memory, but she couldn't help smiling at the sight of Kali stretched out next to him, her head resting in his lap. "Come on, I want to talk to you."

"Hmm…" he moaned when she shook him gently. Otherwise, he still refused to stir. Yuffie finally reached into his coat and tickled his side. After snorting awake and jumping three feet in the air, he yawned loudly and glared at her.

"You awake?" she smiled.

"I am now. What do you want?" he snapped quietly so as not to wake his sister.

"I just wanted to talk to you. The last time we saw each other, we weren't exactly on speaking terms."

"You tried to kill me," he said quietly. Yuffie sighed.

"You know why we did that. Kadaj, do you still want to try to bring your father back?"

"I guess a little. Why?"

"Well, as long as you don't try to do it, we won't hurt you this time."

"What of them?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the others. Cid, Reno and Rude were stretched out asleep around the fire. "I can trust you, as you are speaking for yourself, but what of them? How do I know they will not harm me?"

"I can't _promise_ you that they'll leave you alone. But," Yuffie looked into his eyes, suppressing a shudder at the odd familiarity of them, "I _believe_ they'll be kind to you. We all like Kali, and I can tell that she already likes you."

"I suppose you're correct," Kadaj smiled as he glanced at his silent sister.

"Kadaj, as long as she lives, no harm will come to you from us. We don't want to hurt her, and I know your death would do only more pain to her already broken heart."

"You never used to talk like that. I suppose becoming a vampire makes one a bit more philosophical."

"You know?" she said in surprise and shame.

"Kali told me everything. Your red eyes helped, as well. Now, what did you wish to speak with me about?"

"I've been thinking about what happened up on the hill earlier this evening," she said solemnly.

"Oh. Yuffie, I'm sorry I broke down like that. I just can't stand the thought of losing two men who were like fathers to me."

"I understand. There's no need to apologize. I was thinking more of what you said to Vincent about never repaying him. Do you know what the last thing he said to me was?"

"I love you?" Kadaj guessed. To his surprise, Yuffie shook her head. "No?"

"No," she whispered, taking his hand. "He talked to me about you."

"Me?" Kadaj repeated in disbelief. She nodded.

"I went with him to the bottom of the hill. Before he went up, he kissed me and held me for a long time. He did tell me how much he loved me, but then he talked to me about you. He said that you might feel that you needed to repay him for fixing you up. Vincent wants you to know that he did it out of what little kindness he had in his heart at the time. He never wanted anything back. He told me to tell you that if you really want to repay him, there's only one thing you can do."

"What's that?" Kadaj asked, a slight choking sensation forming in his throat. Yuffie smiled softly and brushed Kali's hair behind her ear.

"Take care of her," Yuffie whispered. The young man lowered his eyes and held his sister tighter.

"What's wrong with me?" he muttered. "Since last night, I've been feeling things that I never have before. When I think of what she's been able to get through or look at Kali, I swell with pride. I ache when I look or even think of her injured foot or any future misfortune that could possibly befall her. I don't want to let her go. I just want to hold her for the rest of my years. I feel that I must protect her, no matter what."

"You're her big brother. Older brothers are supposed to look after their baby siblings. It's a natural instinct."

"Perhaps you are right. Yuffie, if you don't mind, I really should get some sleep. Good night," he said finally.

"Good night," she whispered. Yuffie stood and returned to Reno's side.

Kadaj sighed and looked around at their camp. They had stopped by the edge of the city, a forest nearby and his back presently resting against the destroyed side of a building. He turned and stared into his sister's face. He smiled and squeezed her shoulder before closing his eyes. They opened again a few minutes later at a rustling sound nearby. He looked over and saw a cloaked figure standing in the woods. Kadaj began to stand up, pausing to crack his aching back, but the figure left before he could go further. When he saw no sign of the man again, he sat back, wrapped his arm tighter around the girl, and gripped his sword with so much strength his knuckles were snow white in his gloves. Kadaj tried to go back to sleep, but he was too nervous, for he knew that the figure was Kali's stalker. After a few minutes, he decided to stay awake and keep watch. A few long hours later, he was dozing while the rest of the group was rising. He jumped awake when Kali nudged him.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked. He stared at her with dark, sleepy eyes. "I guess not."

"Yuffie woke me up and we talked a lit-" he paused and yawned long and loudly, "-tle and I couldn't get back to sleep until now."

"Go to sleep, then. I don't think we'll be going anywhere until my foot feels better. I'll tell them to let you snooze," she promised. Kali stood shakily and hopped over to the remains of the fire and told her friends that Kadaj was still tired. His gaze followed her until she sat. He then allowed his body to fall sideways. He was out before he even hit the ground.

"Where do we go from here?" Cid asked a little while later. They had fallen silent after eating their breakfast by the ashes of the fire, and he was determined to break it.

"Find Marlene and Tifa," Kali said solemnly. Rude looked to the ground and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, come on, Rude," Reno groaned. "Don't tell me you still like Tifa."

"Why not? You still like Yuffie," Rude pointed out. Reno took Yuffie's hand.

"We have a chance. When we met Tifa, we were enemies with her. Working together against him," he jerked a thumb towards the sleeping lump behind them, "she was already Cloud's. Hell, they got married several years ago. You have to face it. Tifa killed Vincent. We're against her again," he pointed out. Rude seemed to ignore him. "You said yourself when we met Kali that even though the Turks are gone, we owe it to them to protect our own. Vincent _was_ our own. We owe it to him to snuff out his killer."

"Shut up," Rude muttered. Reno stared at him in disbelief.

"Rude, look-"

"Reno, chill," Kali snapped suddenly. They all stared at her in surprise. "Look, we're in this together. We all loved Vincent in our own rights. Reno has a point, we need to avenge him. I know you all hate my father, but I need to seek his vengeance, as well. I know you all tried to kill him long before my birth, but you all have taken care of me since my arrival and feel the same hate towards what is left of AVALANCHE right now. I'm going to find Tifa and Marlene, and I'm going to kill both of them," she said in a commanding voice. Her eyes lowered slightly as her voice softened. "But I can't do it alone. Please, help me. I know Kadaj will, but if Tifa was able to kill Vincent and Cloud could kill my father, there's no telling how far our enemies will go to destroy Kadaj and myself. Rude, if you want out, I understand. If anyone else wants out, leave now. If you go this minute, I promise I will not kill you, even if you turn to Tifa and tell her all of our secrets. Later, if you decide to leave, I'm sorry. Should you actually try and escape our team," she said slowly, glancing at each face before her and taking a breath, "may your soul rest for eternity in the Lifestream. This is your last chance to get out of this. Any takers?"

"I'm in," Yuffie said immediately. "I love Vincent and miss him terribly. I can't let his murderer continue to walk the Planet."

"I'm with you," Cid agreed. "Vincent was my best friend, after all."

"I'm in, too," Reno said. He took Yuffie's hand again. "I looked up to Vincent and I'm not letting you go through this alone. You mean too much to me."

"Rude?" Kali whispered, all eyes turning towards him. Rude thought for a few moments. He finally looked up at her and nodded slowly.

"I'll stay."

"You're sure?"

"You're the only friends I have. I don't want to sacrifice that," he muttered with a shrug. Kali smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Rude," she said quietly. She turned and hugged everyone else in turn. "Thank you all."

"Kali, we love you. We would stay with you no matter what," Rude said quietly.

"You know, I'm glad you're here. Rude's never been this talkative," Reno smiled. "It makes life a bit more interesting."

"Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up," Rude said. His friends began laughing. They stopped when Kadaj walked over to them.

"Feel better?" Kali asked as he sat next to her. He nodded and picked at the leftover breakfast.

"What's the plan?" he asked quietly to break the uneasy silence that always seemed to form around him.

"We go after Tifa and Marlene," Cid explained.

"Good. I can deal with that," Kadaj nodded and ate slowly. "But not until your foot is well."

"Kadaj-" Kali began. He shook his head.

"No. I'm your older brother. You have to listen to me. I know what is best for your health. We're waiting until you can at least walk without hopping or trembling or falling over. That's final."

"Oh, come on, Kadaj," Kali whined.

"Don't argue with me young lady, or I'll beat your ass."

"That's a nice way to talk to a kid half your age," Cid griped. "Especially when she's your sister."

"Oh, you should talk. Some of the things that have come out of _your_ mouth when I was her age," Yuffie retaliated as Kadaj whispered in Kali's ear.

"Is this group always this fun in the morning?"

"Shut the fuck up, Yuffie. Leave him alone," Reno demanded, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"Bite me!"

"Vincent already beat me to it, thanks," Reno added with a laugh.

"All of you shut your damn mouths," Rude snapped.

"Come on, you can cuss worse than that," Cid taunted.

"There are two women here, if anyone has taken a minute to notice," he reminded them. Reno looked down his shirt.

"I sure as hell ain't one of them," he said. Rude was about to say something when laughter distracted him. They turned to stare at Kadaj, his head bowed, who was laughing so hard he was in tears.

"You okay?" Kali asked in a worried tone. She laid a hand on his arm. Kadaj shook his head and looked up to the sky.

"You're all so fucking stupid," he managed to say through his laughs. Kali smiled at him and began to giggle as well. Rude followed her lead. Within ten seconds, they were all laughing until tears streamed nonstop down their faces. They never saw the six flashes of light in the woods. They never heard the click of a recorder as the two spies ran off.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"President," came a voice from the door.

"Yes?"

"Pardon the interruption, but they have returned with some news," said the bald man in the deep violet suit. The woman standing by the plate glass window that overlooked the ruins of Midgar nodded without looking at him.

"Let them in."

"Madam President," said the woman who entered. She wore a dark green suit and bowed as she came forth. A man in another green suit with a small package followed. The blonde in the white trench coat before them turned and smiled.

"Rise," she ordered. The two of them did so. "What news do you bring?"

"President, we have confirmed our suspicions. Kadaj, son of Sephiroth, has indeed been living in exile for quite some time."

"You know this already," the woman reminded her. She sat in a chair behind a large desk while a man and a woman in brown suits flanked her.

"But we have been unable to follow him thus far," spoke up the man. He held up the package. "We were able to find him in the ruins of Midgar with five other people. In this envelope, we have a tape-recording of their conversation and pictures to prove our story. We found them only this morning," he explained.

The woman nodded to the man on her right and he took the package. He inspected and, deciding it was safe, opened it, a tape and smaller envelope spilling onto the table. The woman nodded to the guard to her left and she fetched a tape player from the table on the other side of the room. The spies began to play the tape. It began from breakfast and ran until the group laughed. When the tape stopped, the president lowered her eyes.

"So Vincent Valentine is dead. I thought he was immortal. At least, my parents always told me that."

"He was. Someone found a way to kill him," explained a woman in violet. She had just walked in. "It is a pity. I'm sure he would have made a good addition to our group."

"Of course he would have. He was the best gunman the Turks had ever seen. Then again, I doubt he would have agreed to help. As for the pictures," she began, tearing the envelope open. She studied them for nearly ten minutes before speaking. "These are Reno and Rude. They worked for my father and grandfather."

"Yes. Those are them," agreed the spies as their boss laid the pictures aside. The woman pulled two more photographs from the group.

"This is Yuffie," she said, pointing out the woman, "and this is Cid," she added, pointing to the man. "They and Cloud opposed my father when I was a small child."

"During the Meteor crisis," the female in violet added.

"What of the silver-haired ones?" asked the man that gave the photographs to her.

"I know that this is Kadaj," she said slowly as she laid his photograph aside. "I can never forget his face. But I don't know who she is," she added, staring at the smiling, silver-haired girl.

"I recall that Kadaj referred to himself as her older brother," the woman in green said slowly. "Did Seph-" she stopped at an angry glare from the woman behind the desk. "Did he have another child?"

"I did not think he did," said her boss. Her brow furrowed as she took a closer look. "Perhaps it was a secret child."

"Kadaj was to be secret as well, but everyone knows him," pointed out the man in violet.

"Then perhaps when he went mad, he raped a woman. I don't care!" she snapped, standing and slamming her fist on the desk. Her employees flinched at this loss of temper that seemed to be common in her family. "They are his flesh and blood! We cannot have his direct relations running around loose on the Planet! It is because of him that my father and grandfather are dead!" She sighed to calm her temper and sat again, her hand rubbing the bridge of her nose and her eyes shut. "Issue an order to the Phonet squad. I want all six of them," she pointed at the pictures, "alive. They are to use any means necessary to acquire them, so long as they are breathing until I have a few moments to speak with them."

"As you wish," bowed the violet man. He left to give the order.

"You are dismissed," the woman added to the spies. They bowed and followed the previous man. "Bring me a doctor, and be sure he has aspirin."

"Immediately," nodded the remaining woman. As she left, two more people in violet suits came in.

"Good day, president," bowed the man. The woman with him bowed silently.

"Please, sit. I am about to confer with the doctor," she said, signaling to the chairs in front of her.

"To what do I owe this summons?" asked a voice from the door a few moments later. A man with shoulder-length black hair that had silver tips and barely noticeable highlights, a grey lab coat, and glasses that covered his green eyes bowed and approached her. "I see your head is aching you again. Here is your medicine."

"Thank you," she sighed as she leaned her head back. He pulled a syringe from his pocket and injected the white liquid into her neck. She lifted her head. "That is indeed a wonderful cure. I feel no pain at all now."

"A shame Uncle Hojo was unable to finish it himself. Is that all, mistress?"

"Doctor, how is The Hitomi? Any new developments?"

"Alas, no," he shook his head. "She still refuses to tell what the Planet says. We have tried everything, but she insists that she hears nothing."

"Is it possible she truly does not hear anything?"

"It _is_ possible," he nodded, "but-"

"Is it her disability, do you suppose? Or do you think perhaps her father's genes overpowered those of the Cetra? Her mother was only half Cetra to begin with, anyway."

"No," he shook his head. "She is as capable as her mother was, we're sure. There are two things we could try that I have only begun to consider, though."

"What?"

"It is on record that her mother showed the strongest contact by the Temple of the Ancients. It is our belief that The Hitomi will feel the energy there, as well. There is the possibility that, as it is her father's death place, she will at least speak to his life energy. If that is unsuccessful, we think that perhaps a visit to her mother's resting place may help, or at least, somewhere around the Northern Crater and the City of the Ancients. Do we have your permission?" he inquired.

"How long will it take to get to the sites?"

"One week for the Temple Ruins, at least a week and a half to go to the City and two to reach the Crater from here," explained the violet woman. The blonde nodded and tossed her hair back from her shoulder, the ponytail swinging to the side.

"How long will you stay?"

"Perhaps five days each."

"You will be gone for almost two months if you go to both sites. Our ball is in one week. You will take her afterwards. Until then, continue your current tests and observations."

"Of course," he bowed.

"And doctor? I want you to try giving her a mild dose of Mako."

"President!" he exclaimed. "Mako has not been in use since my cousin died! You know that!"

"I know. I am sure your uncle had some stored away. After all, the Mako was injected into your cousin and other members of SOLDIER to give them part of their strength, was it not?"

"You are correct madam, as always," he said quietly. "I shall return to my work with your permission."

"One last thing," she called, her expression softening. "How is my mother?"

"Still very ill. I do not know how much longer she has."

"Thank you. I shall go to visit her in a little while. Now you may go. Relay the information to your partner."

"Of course," he nodded. He was gone the next moment.

"The rest of you are dismissed. Continue your preparations for the banquet."

"Yes, President Shinra."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hey, Kali," Kadaj smiled. He had unwound her bandage and was gently moving her foot. "I don't think it was as bad as we thought. It's almost healed. Another two or three days, and you'll be good as new."

"Thanks, bro," she grinned. He wrapped her foot in a new bandage before helping her up and taking her to the others.

They sat by their friends on a small hill of rubble. They all watched as the sun set slowly. The afternoon had proven uneventful and boring, and so they knew that the night must be, as well. The group took the time to reflect on those who had died.

"You know what?" Kadaj whispered. Everyone looked at him. "I know how horrible it sounds, but I wish I could have been there when Cloud died," he said quietly, his hand rubbing the scar on his cheek. "I would give anything to go back and see the look on his face when it happened."

"Kadaj, don't say that," Kali whispered. He sighed silently and held her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

They sat for a long time in silence again. The sun was halfway behind the horizon when Yuffie began to mutter something under her breath.

"When the cold of winter comes, starless night will cover day. In the veil-" she cut herself off when she realized that she was singing aloud. She turned red when she noticed them staring at her.

"What's that?" Reno asked. Yuffie turned away.

"Nothing."

"Now you have to tell us," Cid demanded. Yuffie stared at the sinking sun.

"It's a song that Vincent used to sing. If I was angry, upset, or he had to leave and we couldn't see each other for a while, he would sing it. Sometimes I even caught him singing it for no reason."

"How does it go?" Kali asked.

"I really don't have the voice. Vincent's was much better," she sighed.

"He's not here," Rude whispered.

"It's not very long, but here," Yuffie took a breath and closed her eyes. The song was a little like this:

When the cold of winter comes,

Starless night will cover day.

In the veiling of the sun,

We will walk in bitter rain.

But in dreams

I can hear your name,

And in dreams

We will meet again.

When the seas and mountains fall

And we come to end of days,

In the dark I hear a call

Calling me there.

I will go there

And back again.

Yuffie opened her eyes and looked to the others as she finished. The sun was almost gone, now, and her friends looked close to tears.

"Teach me the words," Kali whispered. "It's really pretty."

"We'll have lots of time. I will," she agreed. Yuffie stood and began walking back to their camp. "I think I'll turn in early. Good night."

"Night," Reno called after her. He turned to the others and when she was out of earshot said, "I'm kind of glad old Vince is gone. He was making her too depressed."

"Hold your tongue!" Rude snapped, the others staring at him, appalled. "He was brave. You say you love her. If you love her, you'll stand with her even if it's against what you stand for and your feelings."

"It's not as easy as you think."

"How about we all turn in early?" Kali suggested quietly. She didn't want to watch a feud at the moment, especially one that could divide the team. Kadaj helped her down and walked to the camp slowly. "You know what?" she said to him as they settled in.

"What?"

"That song is familiar. I think Vincent might have sung it to me before I went to the orphanage."

"How old were you when you went?"

"Maybe…" she thought for a moment, "six months, perhaps a bit older."

"I didn't think someone could remember that far back," Kadaj whispered. He held her close as they sat. "Come to think of it, I remember a little from when I was that age."

"You do?"

"Not much. Kali? Thanks."

"For what?"

"Coming here. It feels really good to have someone to love again. I haven't felt so strongly about anyone since dad died."

"You're welcome," Kali smiled. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. "Goodnight, Kadaj."

"Sleep tight, little sis."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNINNINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNI**

**NM:** Wow, lots of info in here. Any guesses as to whose kid the President is (I made it really easy)? How about the parents of 'The Hitomi'? Okay, the song that Yuffie sings is not one I made. For those of you who don't know, it's called 'In Dreams' and it's from _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_. For anyone who hasn't seen the movies, you MUST see them. They're really good (I cried at the end of 3!). So, yeah. The song isn't really as short as in here, but there's an instrumental part, and it's kinda hard to put that into story form. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Actually, the woman at my mom's office had her exams cancelled due to snow when she was a freshman. They had like, a week off and since they had no time to reschedule, they were cancelled. No such luck this year, though… Oh, if you want my AIM, it's on my bio page. I also have MSN, but I tend to use that for email instead of instant message. And I'm not on AIM that often, but you can catch me sometimes. The best bet is to add me to your buddies and IM me right when I get on, otherwise if nobody's on, I'm doing hw, orI don't feel like talking to people who are on, I sign right out.

**Mediciner:** Nanashi is actually a Japanese name that means 'without name,' and it can be used for men and women alike, so figuring out what gender it's used for won't help. But remember when it said that Kali had seen the 'true form?' If you can figure out the form, you figure out Nanashi! As for KHFD, I have major writer's block right now. I have about 2, maybe 2.5 pages written. I think I might update eventually and then put the fic on temporary hiatus until my mind gets moving again. I don't know yet.

**Merielle:** … got some violent tendencies, I see…

Review!!!

NINJA MAGE


	14. Captivated

****

Chapter 14

Captivated

"This is amazing," Kadaj shook his head two highly uneventful days later. "Your foot is completely healed."

"I think I had some help," Kali confessed as she pulled her boot on for the first time in nearly a week. "I think daddy or Vincent might have done something from the Lifestream."

"I guess we'll never really know," he smiled. "Since you're feeling better, you want me to teach you to fight?"

"Definitely."

"Hey, Yuffie, we're going to go train for a little while!" he called to her.

"We'll head out if you get back before sundown! Otherwise we'll spend one more night out here!" she yelled back. Yuffie was across the field with the other men, discussing their course of action. Kadaj and Kali had agreed that it would be best to let those who knew Tifa and Marlene very well to decide what they should do.

"But we need a guinea pig to help her aim!"

"I'll go," Rude offered quietly. He stood and approached them.

"Okay," Kadaj began when Rude was with them and they had gone a safe distance away. "First, you need to hold your sword properly."

"Right," Kali nodded. Kadaj drew his sword and held it with the sharp edge of the blade turned outwards and the dull edge running along his arm.

"This is how I tend to hold mine. Yours is a bit big for that," he added as he handed his weapon to Rude. "Can you wield it like a regular sword?"

"Of course," Rude assured him, throwing his jacket aside. Kadaj stood behind Kali and told her to draw Masamune. When she did, he held her hands and held the sword in front of her.

"Most people, including myself, hold their swords out like this when they attack first," he explained. "Which hand is dominant?"

"I'm ambidextrous," Kali told him. Kadaj smiled and laughed quietly.

"You're just like father. For the sake of argument, let's use your right hand. Just remember that you can use your left the same way, but go the opposite directions as your right," he whispered. He moved her hands to the side so the sword would have been sheathed again if it had one. "Now, if you're waiting for your opponent to make the first move, hold it like this."

"Got it. What do I do to attack first or when he finally comes for me?"

"Bring the sword out like this," he explained. He made her pull the sword out and swing it across her front with one hand, the other following to block any counterattacks and seeming to push the sword over. It rested by her other side, hand turned so the blade pointed out and she held it much like Kadaj held his. Her other hand gripped it loosely. "Then, turn it like this as fast as you can," he continued, turning her hands. Her weapon swung back across, both hands tightly on it now. "Last, go back towards your right, but this time, aim higher."

"Huh? What's all this doing?" she asked as she took off her coat and laid it next to Rude's.

"The first cut blocks the opposing sword. The second either blocks a counterattack or cuts the torso, depending on whether their sword is blocking and if you're fast enough to get there before it does. The last one is supposed to finish by cutting off or at least maiming the head," Rude answered. Kadaj nodded while Kali gulped and rubbed her neck.

"Right. Now, Kali, Rude's going to come at you. Do exactly like I told you, but control your attack. We don't want him killed now. Rude, stay back a bit. Kali, I'll tell you when to hit him. You'll have to do it sooner than you would in battle. In battle, wait until you're just out of their sword's reach."

Kali took a breath and held the sword by her side. Rude took a few steps back before coming at her. Kali almost didn't hear Kadaj telling her to hit for the blood pounding in her ears and her nervousness of being too late. At the last moment, she swung the sword and knocked Rude's out of her way. She quickly brought the sword back across in such a way that he would have been cut had she not been controlling it, and swung for the head. Rude ducked with just enough time to avoid having his skull shattered.

"Very good," Kadaj nodded. He whispered something in Rude's ear, to which Rude nodded as Kadaj turned to Kali. "Again. This time, I'm not telling you when to swing."

Kali and Rude took their positions again. When Rude was at the same place, Kali swung to block his sword. She was successful again. When she came back across, he brought the sword up, only to be knocked away once more. Kali was growing confident as she aimed for the head, but Rude reached up and blocked her. The swords slid across each other until the hilts were touching, forming an 'X.' Kali began to grow afraid as she looked into Rude's eyes through the glasses. After a moment of struggling, Rude finally pushed her down and bent over her, the sword against her throat.

"That, Kali, is something that can happen if you're fighting a well-trained swordsman," Kadaj told her as Rude helped her up. "No swordsman fights the same exact way. Each has his own style. If you're not ready to combat anything thrown at you, expected or not, you will surely be killed. I had Rude do that to teach you this: expect the unexpected. Until you fight the same person many, many times, you will be unable to predict their movements. It took me many confrontations with him before I learned to read Cloud."

"How do I block something like that?" Kali asked. Kadaj stood behind her again.

"Rude, a little help?"

"Of course," Rude agreed. He slid his glasses off and put them in his jacket, resulting in a stare from Kadaj.

"What the…? I've never seen you without those things."

"Exactly why I'm not wearing them. They're my only pair and I don't want them broken."

"Whatever," Kadaj shook his head as he recovered from the surprise. He positioned the swords so that they were clashing again. "There are several options you have. You can do what you did before, just push at each other until one weakens and falls over, but I doubt you'll win that way until you've strengthened these things you call arms," he teased as he poked her thin appendages.

"What else?" she asked, ignoring the tease.

"This is the oldest trick in the book, so you'll have to be quick if you're to use it before your enemy. Push against each other as hard as you can," he ordered. Kali and Rude pushed. Kadaj whispered to Kali, "Now, the best thing to do is while you're pushing, begin to lean back like you're about to fall, that way he's caught off guard. Right," he confirmed as she began to fall. "Kali, I want you to step away and take your sword out when I say go. Go!"

Kali sidestepped the double-blade and brought her sword to her side. Rude fell face-first into the ground.

"You could have warned me," he snapped as Kali began laughing.

"I needed her to see the effect. I also need her to learn not to _giggle_," he said to her seriously. She smiled.

"Sorry."

"That's a good way to get yourself killed if he gets up again, which, if you fight properly, shouldn't happen. Rude, lie back down," he ordered, pushing the standing man back down. A groan escaped from Rude as Kadaj continued. "Now, when or even as he falls, finish him. You can behead him, stab his heart, go for his stomach, you can cut off his balls for all I care, just don't let him get up, especially if you laugh at him. Now, there will be times he'll block you, but that's another one of the things you only prepare for with experience as there are many ways of blocking, and for me to teach you all of them would take the rest of my years on this Planet."

"Can I get up now?" Rude asked.

"No!" said the siblings at the same time. They smiled at each other while Rude groaned again.

"Come on," Kali said gently and helped him up. "Kadaj, why is your sword a double-blade? I've never seen one like that."

"I'll show you. Rude, my sword," he requested with a sly grin. Rude handed it to him and stood back. "Swing at me."

"Right," Kali nodded.

She swung. Kadaj swung, too, but instead of connecting, his sword caught hers between his blades. He turned his hands so the sword spun quickly five times, and Masamune was torn from her grasp. It landed a few feet away as Kadaj stopped his blade by Kali's throat.

"My advice to you is this," he said as he lowered the blade and handed it to Rude. "If you ever fight someone with this kind of weapon, run. Don't try to fight, because if he's faster then you, you're dead as soon as Masamune is caught in his."

"No problem there," she assured him as she picked up her weapon. "Anything else?"

"I'm thinking," Kadaj muttered. "The only thing I can think of is how to block different swings. Rude, I'll- Wait!" he slapped his forehead. "I forgot what else you need to know. If you miss the head or he blocks and you're knocked away, I want you to recover like this," he explained as he took his sword back and hit an invisible enemy. He narrated the position as he did it himself. Kali tried to follow.

"Jump back a few feet when you realize you've missed. Bring the sword so that the hilt is next to the left side of your head like this. The place on the hilt side of the disc where it and the blade join should rest on the joint between your thumb and index finger on your right hand. About one-quarter of the way down, you hold the hilt in the same joint on your other hand. Keep the bladed side up and the entire sword in front of and just above your forehead. No, Kali, that's wrong," he said, shaking his head and lowering his blade. She was grasping the sword so tightly, her knuckles were white.

"What?"

"Keep your other six fingers off of the blade. Make sure they're extended slightly. This helps in case you need to pivot the blade in your hands. When you swing again, _then_ you close you fingers around it and attack. The hilt should rest lightly in your hands, not heavily," he explained as he took his position again.

"Okay," Kali nodded. "It hurts my hand, though."

"You'll get used to it. I hardly feel it at all anymore."

"What about blocking other swings?"

Kadaj, Kali, and Rude worked for nearly two more hours. She learned to block attacks from above, the side, behind, and diagonal. Dusk began to fall as Kali started slowing up. She and Rude tackled her first lesson one last time before Kadaj made her stop. Rude gave Kadaj his sword back, picked up his coat, put his glasses on, and returned to the camp while the siblings spoke.

"You're really good with a sword. With a little more practice, you'll be as good as dad was."

"Kadaj," she whispered, "what was he like, our father? I never knew him. Mother said that he died before she even knew I was coming."

"I'm terribly sorry you never knew him. Whatever you've heard about him being a madman or a psycho is wrong. Damn it, it's all so wrong," Kadaj shook his head. He sat down and held Kali. He closed his eyes and spoke to her quietly. "They never knew him.

"I lived with him since the day I was born. He and I lived in an apartment over the lab grandfather worked in. He had one right next to us. It was next to the SOLDIER headquarters, so dad could work, and there was a park that I used to play in a lot. Father took me to watch him train sometimes. When he did, I used to think that he was ashamed of me. He never told anyone that I was his true son. He always told people that I was an orphan he found on the streets or that my mother was in labor when he found her and she died just after I was born. I know now that he kept me secret because I was illegitimate. He knew that if anyone else knew that he had a child outside of wedlock, he would be ineligible for the title of General, if not kicked out of SOLDIER completely. Otherwise… my god, he was the kindest man I've ever known.

"Every night when he got home from training, he would come up to my room and we'd goof off for hours. Some nights we watched movies, others we would read, sometimes we just sat and 'played pretend.' He gave me few toys. I mostly got toy swords, books, things like that. I think he wanted me to follow him and go into SOLDIER or even the Turks. But out of everything, I think I liked it most when I was a small child and had nightmares, or even before that, when I just wouldn't go to sleep. There were some nights I would pretend to have had a nightmare or not sleep just to hear him."

"What do you mean?" Kali asked. Kadaj looked up at the setting sun, eyes half-open, and began to look as if he would cry, despite the smile on his face.

"When I had nightmares, he was the first one to come into my room. My grandfather came in as father took me back to his room. He'd lay down with me in his bed. I would curl up under the blankets and he would sit against the pillows. Father put his arm around me and a few times, we would sit and talk until he insisted I go back to sleep or I did so on my own. He never took me back to my room. I know, for every morning, I would wake up exactly as I had been the night before, except most times he would be up and showering, or dressing. Sometimes I awoke at such a late hour, he was already at training. But most nights, he would hold me close and sing to me."

"I never pictured father as a singer. I mean, after everything Vincent told me about his life from the Nibelheim mission to his revival fifteen years ago, I thought he was too cold, despite my love for him. Do you remember the song?"

"Of course I do. It was the last thing we said to each other before he…" Kadaj swallowed, "went mad and when I was fifteen."

"Hmm?" Kali furrowed her brow.

"I was ten. The day he left for Nibelheim, I was trying to tell him to stay, that he should at least take me with him. I knew then how proud of me he was. In front of all of the troops that were accompanying him, he picked me up, held me close, and began singing to me just loud enough for his troops to hear. He had never done that before. He always sang to me when we were alone. I think he was embarrassed, because when he put me down and turned to follow them, he turned red at their stares. When he didn't come back, my grandfather began injecting me with Mako and Jenova cells. I had severe reactions to them, I was sick nearly every other week, but he kept doing it as soon as I was well again. My father had always prevented him from doing that, but he wasn't there to protect me.

"I finally ran away about a year later. I eventually found my way to Nibelheim and found it being rebuilt. I snuck in and went to the mansion. I lived there until I was fifteen. A few days after my birthday, I was sleeping when I heard someone come into my room. I stayed still and watched as a man with silver hair and a black coat open a hidden door in the corner. He went down into the basement and waited in the library. I followed him, and began to wonder about the books. I had read them, but I thought it was coincidence about my father. I was too young to understand them, as well. When father saw me, he tried to kill me. I begged him to spare me and insisted that I was his son. He denied it, convinced that I was a clone. He saw my necklace and tried to take it," he said quietly, grasping the pendant, "but I refused. When he had me on the ground and was about to stick Masamune through my chest, I started to cry. I began to sing our song quietly. Father put the sword away and finished the song, for I was in too many tears. He hugged me one last time and told me to leave. He said that if AVALANCHE or Shinra saw me, I was good as dead. I hid in the hall and watched him flee as Cloud and the others came for him. I followed AVALANCHE until they found father about two months later. I watched Cloud murder him," he said, a sob rising in his throat.

"Kadaj," Kali whispered soothingly. "If it's not too painful, how did it go?"

"It's a little like the one Yuffie was singing, but far longer. It went, 'Lay do-" he began, but Kali stood and silenced him.

"Do you hear a truck?"

"Yeah," he whispered after listening for a moment. They heard Yuffie scream.

"Let's go," Kali snapped. They ran to the campground to find a terrible sight.

Yuffie was being carried, unconscious, to a pickup truck across the site. The man in the dark red suit tossed her in roughly, resulting in an angry yell from Reno. He flew at the man, only to be thrown aside. Cid stabbed at a woman who was fighting with what looked like a large nightstick. She somersaulted under the lance and stabbed him with the stick. It zapped him with electricity, resulting in Cid's collapse to the ground. Kali looked over to see Rude stretched out on his stomach behind a piece of debris, his pistol positioned on top of it and searching for a place to hit. Kali flinched as Reno was knocked to the ground and thrown next to Yuffie in the truck. Kali ran down as the woman dragged Cid into the truck and the man snuck over to Rude.

"Kali, come back!" Kadaj hissed. She ran down to Rude as he tried to maneuver out of the man's sight. As he did, the woman snuck up behind him and stuck her weapon in his back, right where the daggers had stabbed him. His body convulsed as he screamed and fell silent.

"Rude, no!" Kali yelled as she dragged out her sword. Kadaj was coming after her, his own sword coming forth.

The woman looked up and glared, her blue eyes glowing with fire. She sidestepped Kali, but underestimated the length of the sword. Kali sliced open her stomach, blood dripping to the ground. Her partner leapt over Rude's limp form and knelt by her as Kali and Kadaj readied themselves by standing over Rude.

"Chase, get out of here. Take those we have to the President," the woman shuddered. "Forget me."

"No way, Nova," he insisted. "You're coming with me. We'll get Doctors Alim and Skylar to fix you up."

"Alim?" Kadaj gasped. He lowered his sword slightly as the blonde Chase picked up the brunette Nova. They were at the truck before he recovered.

"Kadaj, don't let them leave!" Kali yelled as she ran towards the truck. Chase laid Nova gently next to the captives in the back, closed the door, and leapt into the cab. He was off as Kali reached the back. She watched helplessly as it disappeared. Kadaj was looking at the ground when Kali joined his side. She slapped him in the arm.

"What was that for?" he snapped.

"They got away. They have Reno, Cid, and Yuffie. Why didn't you stop him?" Kali asked, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

"They said Doctor Alim…" he shook his head. "I thought he was dead."

"Who?"

"Doctor Alim. His parents were my-" he stopped and corrected himself, "-our grandfather's sister and brother-in-law. Alim is our cousin. He wanted to be a scientist like his uncle, but I thought he lived in Midgar when Meteor hit."

"Our cousin? I thought we had no other family."

"They kept distant from granddad. They resented his working for Shinra."

"We need to go after them. Who's the president they mentioned?"

"I really don't know," Kadaj shook his head. He glanced at Rude. "We can't do anything until he wakes up."

"I don't believe this. Vincent trusted us. We were supposed to stick with Yuffie and the others. What now?" Kali moaned. She knelt next to Rude and felt his neck for a pulse. It was normal, but Kali noticed a dark spot forming on his back. She lifted his jacket and saw that one of his wounds had reopened. "He's bleeding again. Got any bandages?"

Kadaj nodded and began to wrap a new piece of cloth around Rude's stomach. He then wrapped their friend in a blanket and waited patiently for him to wake. It took Kadaj ten minutes to realize that Kali was staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Your scar," she whispered. He rubbed the crossed scar on his cheek. "I guess Cloud gave it to you, huh?"

"No," he whispered. "At least, not all of it. He made the cut that caused the vertical cut. I made father make the other."

"You what?" she gasped. He lowered his eyes.

"I'll explain another time. It's too painful to think of right now."

"Kadaj, please. I want to know," she said gently. She rubbed his back slowly.

"You know of my attempt to revive him seventeen years ago, right?" he asked, eyes closed. When Kali answered, he continued. "We were successful, but only for a few days. He came with Loz, Yazoo, and myself to the Northern Crater and the City of the Ancients. Cloud tracked us down. Yazoo held him off for a few minutes, but was killed. Loz did the same. Cloud caught up to father and I on the edge of the Sleeping Forest. I tried to give him a chance to make it to the crater and summon Meteor again, but Cloud was too determined. We only fought for a moment before dad tried to save me. I was on the ground when I watched Cloud stick his sword into dad again. It went through his stomach. I was so angry, I tackled Cloud. He was hurt, but he managed to go off into the woods. He told me that if I didn't come after him to finish it, then he would track me down and kill me painfully and slowly instead of giving me the chance at something quick and painless. I knelt by father as he bled to death. I tried giving him what remained of my potions, but not even my Phoenix Downs could save him. Just before he took what for the time was his last breath, I took his hand that held Masamune. I ran the blade across the one Cloud had just given me. He asked me why I mutilated myself. I told him that I had failed to save one that I loved. I've studied the ways of the warriors of the Planet's past. It's a tradition among them. He asked me to leave him and not to return for the body. I did as I was told. I fought Cloud again and he nearly killed me. Then Vincent came at the last moment and saved my life."

"Vincent was a great guy," Kali whispered. "I'm sorry you weren't with him or dad when they actually died."

"Me, too. Not once, in all of his deaths, was I able to actually be with him to say goodbye."

"I think Rude's waking up," Kali whispered. Indeed, Rude's eyes fluttered open as she spoke.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Okay, nothing much to say. Except I know her foot healed super quickly. Otherwise, I've nothing else to say. Except replies:

**Panny Savage:** What FF7 fan girl hasn't fallen in love with Kadaj? You don't even have to review (but it's nice to hear what readers have to say!).

**Sayahiei:** And what interesting conversations we've had! And like I said, the song is from Lord of the Rings.

**Mediciner:** I find the names on behindthename dot com. Just type in what word you want a name for, then refine whether you want male, female, or either, and it'll give them to you. But be warned that not all words or names are in there.

**Merielle:** Hehehehe… you're smart (you're the only one to guess) and I give away too many hints. You find out who/what the Hitomi is next chapter. You don't find out her parents for sure until later. You find out the president's parents next chapter, too.

**NM:** Oh, and I lied last chapter. The lyrics with little musicare called 'In Dreams,' but the song with the full music included is 'Aniron' by Enya (dunno why they're different, but they are). Sorry! But there's gonna be another longer one a couple of times. It's really sad, which ya'll will understand later. Here's a hint: It's the one Kadaj starts to sing. Oh, and everyone has to go to the official AC site (there's a link to it from advent children dot net, or the site is in my profile) and watch the trailer with Cloud's face on it. PLEASE watch it if you haven't already! It. Kicks. Ass. Hehehehehe… You'll see…

Review!

Ninja Mage


	15. The Hitomi Part 1

****

Chapter 15

The Hitomi Part 1

Kadaj and Kali walked slowly towards the large building. They could see dozens of people filing in, each person wearing formal dresses or suits. They crouched behind a large boulder a good distance away from the entrance and watched the place where Rude was waiting with the bikes silently. They flashed each other large smiles and pulled their hoods over their heads as Rude flashed the headlights twice. They came out from behind the rock and approached the building, their plan and Rude's information running through their minds.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Rude, who were they? Who were those people?" Kali asked as Rude drank a bottle of water slowly. He sighed.

"They are the Phonet squad. They're the assassins and kidnappers of a group called the Hitomi. Their leader is trying to restore the Turks and her family to power."

"Her family?" Kadaj repeated. Rude nodded.

"You of all people should know the name," he whispered. When Kadaj didn't answer, Rude continued. "Her name is Valda Shinra. Her father was Rufus Shinra."

"But how?" Kadaj shook his head after a moment's shock. "Rufus died when we brought father back. He was too young to have a kid old enough to lead a group like the Turks."

"No, he wasn't too young. Just because he wasn't recognized as an adult when he got Scarlet pregnant, it doesn't mean it was impossible for him to do it."

"So Shinra has risen again, it seems," Kali muttered.

"Valda is still young. She was born four years before the Meteor crisis. She and Scarlet fled Midgar before Rufus used the cannon and nearly killed himself. I'm amazed he lived. We didn't find him for several days."

"But what of this Hitomi group?" Kali pressed. Rude laughed weakly.

"Sorry. My memory gets the better of me sometimes. Valda has five divisions of workers. There are the Phonet, who I've already explained. She has four advisors at her disposal. Two of them are old and they pass their knowledge down to the two younger ones. Two guards are always by her side, two people are always on the move to spy on her enemies, and she has two scientists that are busy working on a very special project."

"One of the scientists is our cousin," Kadaj said quietly. He looked to the ground.

"What's this project they're working on?" Kali asked.

"I don't know. They keep it very under wraps. All I know is that it involves a woman they call The Hitomi. That is how they got the name. They believe she holds the key to something."

"We need to get Reno, Cid, and Yuffie back. Do you know where they're stationed?" Kali inquired. Rude smiled.

"Of course. What kind of ex-Turk would I be if I didn't know?"

"Where?" Kadaj pressured.

"To the north of this city, a new one has been constructed."

"Ath Midgar," Kadaj nodded.

"Yes. It's a new town modeled after what this looked like before Meteor hit, minus the Mako reactors, of course. I hear that they're having a party in three days, give or take. I think I have an idea to get our friends back…"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

The two siblings moved slowly. When they were within sight of the guards, Kali bent over slightly and held her large stomach while Kadaj pretended to help her stand, his arm around her shoulders and a hand on her arm. Kali began to moan and breath heavily as they came up.

"Please! Guards!" Kadaj yelled. They stood alert and ready. "Please, is there a doctor here? My wife is in labor. We need one right away, the baby's coming at any moment."

"Ah," Kali moaned. Kadaj began to panic, the sound was so realistic, but he held firm.

"Please, may we enter?"

"Yes, yes, of course," said the largest guard. "Come in, come in. Through the entrance hall and up the stairs on the right is the hospital wing. Please, try to keep it down. The President is giving a party tonight and she does not wish for anything to go wrong."

"Thank you so very much," Kadaj smiled. Kali pretended to have trouble walking, but this proved to be too convincing.

"Allow me to help," the other guard offered. He held Kali's other arm.

"No, I think we can manage, thank you," Kadaj insisted nervously. The guard shook his head as they walked in.

"My own wife had our little one last month. I know what it's like. There's no way I can let you go it alone. Besides, you need someone to tell the docs. They're both at the party."

The three of them walked in silently except for Kali, who was still trying in vain to keep up the charade. As they stopped at the foot of the stairs, Kadaj whispered in Kali's ear.

"I think we need another plan."

"I got one," she muttered. Without warning, she threw the man off of her arm and kicked him in the face. He was out before hitting the ground. Kadaj stared at his sister.

"Nice," he smiled as Kali pulled the blanket she had stuffed under her cloak out and, after tearing it, gagged the guards mouth and tied his hands and feet.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Thanks for the dress, Rude," Kali smiled when she was done changing. She spun in front of the mirror. "It's beautiful. I'll pay you back sometime."

"No. This is my gift to you," he insisted. Kadaj came out, his tie holding his hands against his throat.

"Hey, Rude? A little help would be nice."

"Your father never took you to formal occasions, did he?" Rude asked as he tied the tie for Kadaj.

"He took me plenty of places. He just never made me wear a tie."

"Why not?" Kali asked.

"Probably because he didn't know how to tie one, either," Kadaj said simply. They all looked at each other and cracked up at the thought of a man as powerful as Sephiroth not being able to perform a task nearly any other man could.

"You two know the plan, right?" Rude gasped when he stopped laughing. He paused a moment to wipe his tear-filled eyes.

"We cover our features…" Kadaj began.

"I act pregnant…" Kali continued.

"We go in and take off our disguises…" Kadaj added.

"And we casually find our way to the dungeons," Kali finished.

"And wait for my signal when the guests are all inside," Rude reminded them. They nodded and left the small shop. "Valda knows who I am. I can't help you anymore than I have. I'll wait outside with the bikes. You know Kali," he added, "you drove pretty well."

"Thanks. We should go, shouldn't we?"

"Good luck," Rude smiled. When they were outside the building, he watched as they walked off and waited for the guests to leave.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Reno, you okay?" Yuffie whispered. She held him close and rubbed his back. "You've been out for two days."

"Yeah. I'm fine. How about you?" he muttered as he slowly woke up. She smiled and kissed him gently. Cid was leaning against the wall and staring up at the stars through the small window of the cell.

"You think they got Rude, Kadaj, and Kali?"

"Probably not. I would think they'd be here if they got them, too," Yuffie said. Their door opened as she spoke and a young woman in a white trench coat and blonde hair entered. Two guards, a man and a woman, followed and closed the door behind them. Reno stared at the man with the shaved head for a moment before the woman in white spoke.

"Reno," she smiled. "So good to see you again. You probably don't recognize me."

"How could I forget you, Valda Shinra?" he muttered. Yuffie furrowed her brow and stared at the two of them.

"Rufus was the last Shinra," she whispered. Valda shook her head.

"The last legal one. I was illegitimately born to him and Scarlet. I apologize for leaving you here these past two days, but I have been rather busy with preparations for my party. Now, I want to know, who is the silver-haired girl?"

"Why should we tell you?" Cid growled. He walked up to her and drew himself up to his full height, a full foot taller then her.

"Bao," she nodded to the man next to her. He stepped forward and looked Cid in the eye. The next moment, Cid's eyes were shut tight and he was struggling to keep from screaming. He glanced down to find the guard grabbing him between the legs. He let go and Cid knelt to the floor in pain. "Now, let's try this again."

"Why is it so important that we tell you?" Yuffie asked. Valda smiled.

"That is for me to know and you to find out. Who is she?" Valda said. Bao and the other guard shifted nervously. They could tell that she was becoming agitated.

"She's Sephiroth's daughter," Reno said quietly. Yuffie punched his arm.

"Reno!" Yuffie hissed.

"So she is his child. Why are you helping her and Kadaj?"

"I'm not telling you, bitch," Reno muttered. The female guard walked up and backhanded him, bringing forth a painful scream. Valda pulled her back as Yuffie held him tightly and kissed the injury.

"Buh Pe-i-en…" she muttered. The three captives furrowed their brows and stared at her.

"That's enough, Zan," Valda commanded before turning to the trio before her. "You see, my guards go with me wherever I go. They are the only ones other than myself to know every single thing that goes on among the Hitomi. To prevent their telling anyone our secrets, whether they say it voluntarily or through torture, my guards have had their tongues cut out."

As she spoke, the two guards opened their mouths and showed off the stubs of their tongues in the backs of their mouths. Yuffie covered her own mouth and looked away. Reno closed his eyes while Cid looked to the ground.

"What do you want with us?" Yuffie finally whispered.

"I want you to help us to capture Rude, Kadaj, and the girl. We might need them to help us with The Hitomi."

"The Hitomi? Isn't that your group?" Cid said after regaining his breath.

"No. There is the Hitomi, which is the organization itself. Then there is _The_ Hitomi. She is a woman who holds very special powers," Valda explained. Before she could go further, there was a knock on the door. Bao opened it and a young woman with short, black hair wearing a violet dress walked through and bowed.

"President Shinra, the party is ready to begin with your arrival. The Hitomi has made her presence," she said.

"Thank you, Ragna," the president nodded. "You will stay here until the end of the party. Then I will decide what to do with you."

And with that, Valda Shinra, Bao, Zan, and Ragna left them, nobody noticing the two flashes of light across the field and the two shadows stealing across.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

The two of them took off their cloaks and dragged them and the guard into a nearby closet. They stared at each other. Kadaj was wearing a black suit and tie. Kali was wearing a long black dress with high-heels to match. The dress was sleeveless and when she spun, the bottom twirled and fanned out. Kadaj was finding it hard to take his eyes off of her.

"You look great," he whispered.

"Kadaj, I'm your sister. We have a job. Let's get going," she smiled.

She and Kadaj held hands and walked into the main hall where they found at least one hundred people dancing or mingling with the other guests. Kadaj began walking one way, but suddenly turned and walked in the other direction.

"What's wrong?" Kali asked.

"Alim. I don't think it will be in our best interests to run into him right now."

"Kadaj, watch where you're going," Kali muttered. He was glancing over his shoulder to make sure Alim hadn't seen them. Kadaj yelled when he ran into someone.

"Hey," he snapped, turning away from the person.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there," said a silvery voice. The woman reached a hand out and moved it around before finding his arm and holding it apologetically.

"Huh?" Kadaj sighed when he turned to look at her.

Her brown hair was down to her shoulders, ("Kadaj?") but she had a long braid down to her knees. Her light green eyes seemed to glow with an inner flame. She wore a light blue dress that stopped just above her knees. From the knees ("Kadaj.") down, she wore white stockings and brown boots. The sash around her waist was deep, deep blue, and in her right (_"Kadaj."_) hand, she held a staff that was about her height. On the head was a large, black, upside-down tear-shaped gem, and hanging from leather lace that was wrapped around the top were two orbs, one white, and one black. She was a beautiful young woman.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Kadaj frowned slightly. He was hit with realization at the way she hadn't noticed Kali, she was looking _towards_ but not _at_ him, and the way she held the staff.

"You're blind," he said without thinking. She nodded slowly.

"I am sorry," she said again. Kadaj shook his head and took her hand, ignoring the tugs on his jacket.

"No, it was my fault. I was paying no attention to where I was going," he said gently. He kissed her hand before letting go. She blushed.

"You are quite a (_"Kadaj!"_) gentleman. What is your name?"

"Ka-" he hesitated and said quietly, "Kadaj"

"You are Sephiroth's son, are you not?" she gasped quietly.

"Yes, I am, but please, do not tell anyone that I am here. What is your name, miss?"

"Sachiko Kiyoko," she said quietly. "And might I say, I am in awe to meet you."

"Kadaj!" Kali snapped as she hit him in the head. He moaned.

"Who was that?"

"My little sister, Kali."

"I didn't know he had a daughter," Sachiko whispered. She held out a hand, which Kali look nervously. "A pleasure."

"Same to you. Kadaj, I think we should… you know…"

"In a minute," he whispered before turning to the woman. "I didn't know about her until just a few days ago myself," he explained. The orchestra, which had been taking a break, began to play again.

"Hmm," Sachiko smiled and closed her eyes. "I just love music. I always want to dance."

"Then…" Kadaj swallowed and took her hand, "might I have this one?"

"I would like that," Sachiko smiled as he led her away.

"Kadaj!" Kali snapped. He turned and spoke calmly, but strictly and agitatedly.

"There's time for one dance," he said.

Kali watched as the two of them walked into the crowd. A sense of fury rose in her as she watched Kadaj lay one hand on her waist and take the hand that held the staff in his free one, her other going to his shoulder while they both smiled. Kali waited another moment, hands held to her chest, to see if he would come back. She let her hands drop and stared at them. With a sigh and last look, Kali turned and began to walk around the room, trying to find the dungeons. She bumped into somebody while she explored.

"Pardon-" the man muttered. He and Kali stared at each other. "You're that girl."

"Huh?" she gasped. The man had green eyes behind a pair of glasses and black hair with silver highlights and tips. Kali began to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and began pulling her.

"I'm taking you to the dungeon. President Shinra will be most pleased," he muttered.

"Alim, let me go," she hissed. He turned to face her.

"You know my name."

"You are my father's cousin. I had better know who you are," Kali said calmly. She was becoming angry. "Now, take me to the dungeons, but let me go."

"And the point in that would be?" he inquired. Alim continued to drag her.

"I'm here for one reason, and being dragged to the dungeons like this is not it. Let go of me," Kali snapped. Alim refused to listen. He stopped outside of the ballroom.

"Look," he said quietly. He released Kali's wrist and faced her. "You're my cousin's kid, right?"

"Yeah," Kali said slowly.

"I don't agree with what he did twenty years ago, or even with what my uncle did to put Sephiroth on the Planet. I want you to get that straight right now. But I looked up to them before they turned sour. I'll give you ten minutes before I tell Valda that you're here. The dungeons are through that door," he said, pointing to a heavy wooden door down and across the hall. "Your friends are all in one cell. Be careful. It's crawling with guards down there, and even more will follow when I tell her. Make haste if you don't want to fight."

"Thank you, Alim," Kali whispered.

"Just tell me your name," he said quietly. She told him. "Kali is a very pretty name. Now go."

Kali ran down the hall as Alim walked back into the party. She opened the door slowly and quietly. After taking two steps down the long, stone stairwell, she winced and looked down at her heels. The shoes were making loud tapping noises against the stone. She silently took them off and stuck them in a corner. Silently, she continued to walk down into the darkness. With a sinking feeling, she remembered what Vincent had told her before his death.

_There tend to be bats in old basements. One tends to get bitten by a true vampire when he's around that many bloodsuckers… You're blood is sweet with virginity. I don't want you to be bitten… Keep as much of your body covered as possible,_ his voice reverberated through her mind. Kali held back a sob at the thought of her deceased friend. She glanced at her dress and sighed, realizing that her neck, shoulders, much of her chest, her back, and her arms were exposed.

Her bare feet padded against the floor lightly as she walked off of the steps. There were a dozen corridors leading off of this hall. No sooner had she left then a guard walked past her. He glared at her.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to- AH!" he gasped as Kali stuck Masamune through his chest. She trembled as she pulled it out and watched him fall dead to the ground. As she recovered from the shock, five more guards came out from around the corner. They saw the mess she had made and readied their swords and spears. Kali gripped Masamune tightly and held it above her head, poised to strike at the first to come for her.

"If you want me, come and get me."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Sachiko, you're a very good dancer," Kadaj smiled. She laughed lightly. They were standing fairly out of the way and close to the doors to the entrance hall.

"I could say the same to you," she grinned back. Kadaj stared into her face.

"You are very pretty. How old are you, if it's not too personal?"

"Twenty-two. Why do you ask?"

"You seem so young, and yet, you seem to act far more mature and adult. You seem to be a wise woman."

"I have learned much in my lifetime. Mostly, I have been learning what I might do to fulfill my wish to find my parents."

"You don't know them?" Kadaj said quietly. She shook her head.

"No. I was only a few months old when I was sent to an orphanage. I have no idea who my parents are, but I heard that they both died in the Meteor crisis. Or rather, in the events leading up to it."

"I believe our parents met the same fates. My father was killed because of his association with Meteor and I'm sure my mother was in Midgar when it hit."

"What are you doing here?" Sachiko asked.

"Kali and I are looking for our friends. Have you seen anyone brought here recently?"

"Yes," she nodded. "The Phonet group brought a woman and two men here two days ago."

"Do you know where they are?"

"The dungeons."

"I should look soon. What is your reason for being here?" Kadaj inquired. Before she could speak, Valda stood at a podium on the far side of the room and spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please," she called. The music stopped and the people turned to her. "Please, do not panic when you hear what I am about to tell you. Please, look around to your neighbors and others around you. I have a very important announcement. Ladies and gentlemen," she paused and scanned the crowd. Alim nodded for her to continue. "I have just been informed that we have had a terrible security breach. We have learned in the past few days that Sephiroth had both a son _and_ a daughter."

Kadaj stiffened at this. The guests began murmuring to themselves.

"What's wrong? I sense that you are tense," Sachiko whispered, laying a hand on his arm. Kadaj was unable to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been informed that both Kadaj and Kali, children of Sephiroth, are among us tonight. She was seen going to the dungeons only ten minutes ago," Valda said to the suddenly quiet crowd. A woman screamed as the guests began running around in a panic. Bao and Zan pulled out guns and fired them into the high ceiling to silence the group. They stood still and silent while Kadaj began to casually back out of the room. Sachiko stood in front of him to block him from sight. "Please, look around and point us to the son of our past tormentor."

"There he is!" rang a voice near Kadaj. In a flash, he was pulling Sachiko behind him and drawing his blade. The guests began trying to close in on him, but he slashed the head off of the man who yelled, so the others were hesitant about approaching.

"President, he has The Hitomi with him!" the woman in the grey dress yelled. She and Alim began to run after the two people.

"Skylar and I will get her!" Alim called over his shoulder. They pulled two small pistols from their jackets and made their way through the crowd.

"Kadaj, please, don't let them take me back!" Sachiko yelled to him. He glanced at her.

"You're _The_ Hitomi?" he gasped. At her nod, he held his sword steady and readied himself for the onslaught. "Find my sister and get her and our friends out. I won't let them take you."

"Kadaj, I know where your friends are. Come with me," she snapped.

Before he objected, Sachiko grabbed his jacket and took off down the hall, her one hand swinging her staff left and right to avoid running into anything. She stopped in front of the door and shoved it open. Kadaj followed her in and snapped it closed. In a flash, Sachiko found a piece of wood and Kadaj jammed it under the handle. He noticed two black objects in the shadows. He picked up his sister's shoes.

"Kali's been here. Where to?" Kadaj asked as they went down the stairs.

"We have to take one of the corridors that go to the right from the main one. I think it's the third corridor."

"You're sure?"

"Pretty," she said as they stepped off. She knocked her staff against something on the floor and heard a light splash as she walked. "What is this?" she wondered aloud. She knelt and felt the body before her, and screamed when she found what it was.

"Kali… oh my god, how could she do this…" Kadaj gasped.

The guard's head was hanging halfway off of his neck. He surveyed the other bodies. Some guards only had large gashes across their stomachs, but others were far worse. Kadaj noticed one with his arms cut off and his own spear through his chest. Another had his head split down the middle, and yet it was still on the neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his sickened stomach. He was unsure what had happened to every single one of them, but he knew that they were all dead, and surely there was worse farther along. When he opened them, Sachiko was standing next to him and crying.

"She defended herself. There was nothing else to do," she said quietly. She took Kadaj's hand and carefully picked her way through the carnage.

"I hope we find her soon," Kadaj sighed.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Okay, nothing much to say. Oh, did everyone like the trailer? Sephy-chan! Anyway, reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Hehehe… street sweeper sephy… and I don't think you'll like this girl…

**Merielle:** SEPHY'S BACK! YEA! As for the sword descriptions, I have a fake katana and was working with that to get the moves right. Plus, I needed something to fill in the chapter a little so I could put the party stuff in this one. I only know Japanese from anime club and the names I've gotten from behindthename dot com. Very good site for names.

**NM: **Nothing much else to say. Except you're going to hate me in a few chapters cuz of Sachiko if you don't know why yet…

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	16. The Hitomi Part 2

****

Chapter 16

The Hitomi, Part 2

"She defended herself. There was nothing else to do," she said quietly. She took Kadaj's hand and carefully picked her way through the carnage.

"I hope we find her soon," Kadaj sighed.

The two of them walked silently down the hall. Kadaj gazed around, his stomach feeling sicker and sicker as he observed Kali's unknown and even more unusual wrath. He estimated that there were no less than a dozen guards in this first hall alone. Sachiko stepped gingerly between the bodies, Kadaj helping her when she was in danger of failing her attempt of avoidance. When they reached the third corridor, they could hear moaning and screaming farther ahead. Sachiko squeezed his hand.

"Are you scared?" Kadaj asked as he squeezed hers back.

"Yes," she whispered. She looked towards where he stood. "Are you frightened as well?"

"Fuck, yeah," he muttered.

"Don't let go," she muttered shakily. They squeezed each other's hands even tighter.

"I won't if you won't. I promise."

They continued down the corridor, Sachiko's staff moving from side to side and Kadaj's eyes watching the carnage in disgust. They stopped when she heard a noise by their feet. Kadaj looked down and saw a man slowly crawling across the floor. He knelt and struggled to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged, for the guard's intestines were hanging from his stomach and his head was cut open, blood dripping heavily to the stone floor. Kadaj recognized the glazed look in his eyes as death coming on swift feet.

"What happened?" he whispered to the guard.

"Monster…" the guard gasped. "Black clothes… flesh of a human… silver and black hair… huge sword… strong… unstoppable… called herself Nanashi…"

"Nanashi?" Kadaj gasped. "Which way did she go?" he snapped. The guard pointed down the hall.

"The left… hurry and stop her…" he moaned. He closed his eyes and was dead. Kadaj prayed silently as he stood.

"We have to hurry," he whispered. He grabbed Sachiko's hand and pulled her along again.

Kadaj used his sword to peer around the corner when they reached it. In the reflection, he saw a shadow moving across and more bodies on the floor. One of them was on fire, a torch from the wall having fallen onto the poor man. He and Sachiko moved slowly. Kadaj closed his eyes as he felt tears fill them.

_She's not becoming father… she's not going mad like he did… I can't bear it… not again…_ he thought. Sachiko shook him and he opened his eyes. The bodies were all on fire. Kadaj scanned them before looking up at the other end. He saw a flash of silver down the next hallway. The next moment, it disappeared.

"Which way?" Sachiko whispered.

"Left," Kadaj said quietly. He began to pull her along, avoiding the dead bodies and balls of flame. A yell behind them made Kadaj turn. Sachiko kept going, but Kadaj kept a tight hold of her hand, so she froze as well.

"Kadaj, you are under arrest for the murders of countless soldiers of the Hitomi army and the kidnapping of a private Hitomi prisoner and experiment," Valda called. She was pointing at him and frowning. A dozen guards, including Bao and Zan, were behind her. "Return The Hitomi now and we'll forget about the kidnapping."

"Come and get her," Kadaj said quietly, releasing Sachiko and tightening the grip on his sword.

"As you wish. You know what to do," she nodded to the guards behind her. Two of them came within two feet of Sachiko when Kadaj sliced through them. They dropped dead.

"Anyone who wants her has to go through me," he snarled. Sachiko looked towards him with teary, loving eyes. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not worth it. I'll go," she whispered. She began walking past him, but he held out a hand and stopped her.

"Get out of here. Get the others and run," he said softly. He held her hand.

"Kadaj, please come with me. You've been my eyes all evening."

"I'll be your eyes again shortly," he whispered. He gave her hand one more squeeze before she took off down the hallway behind him. Valda chuckled.

"You love her," she laughed. "You've just met her and you're already in love."

"Ridiculous," he said quickly, but there was no mistaking the look in his eyes, nor could he ignore the churning of his stomach at the thought of love. He raised the blade in defiance.

"You are a terribly poor liar. Do you even know who her parents are?"

"What does it matter?" he snapped as he prepared to swing.

"I would think you'd know them very well. Or at least, her mother."

"Huh?"

"Her parents…" Valda said quietly. She stepped up to Kadaj and smiled before telling him.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Sachiko ran blindly down the hall, her staff swinging madly and the orbs hanging from it hitting each other violently. She heard yelling to her right as she stopped to catch her breath.

"Hey, you! Get us out!" yelled a man.

"Are you Kadaj's friends?" Sachiko yelled back.

"Yes! Please, let us out!" cried a woman.

"Has Kali come by here?" she asked.

"Yeah, she went that way. Completely ignored us, too," another man called. Sachiko was unable to see it, but he was pointing to a corridor directly across from the cell.

"Which way?" she asked. The second man sighed angrily.

"_That_ way! What are you? Blind?"

"Yes, I am."

"Cid, you ass!" the woman snapped. Sachiko heard a loud slap and a yell of pain. "Sorry about that. Can you find our cell?"

"Yes," Sachiko nodded as she approached them. She reached out and found a hand sticking out of the small window.

"My name is Yuffie," the woman said quietly. "Now turn so that your back is to us. Walk directly forward and you'll find her."

"Thank you," Sachiko whispered. "I'll be right back to get you."

"Be careful," the first man called as Sachiko walked off. She walked for a few moments before stopping suddenly.

"Oh, no," she muttered. She held the staff tightly as a ripping noise reached her ears, but this was not what made her stop. Sachiko listened carefully to the whispers of the Planet.

"No more war… no more pain… that is all that the One-Winged Angel's child can bring… as a daughter of the Planet, please stop her… stop her destructive mind…"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj's eyes went wide and he swung at her. Valda stepped back just in time.

"No! She isn't!" he yelled. He was trembling.

"But she is. You know it. You knew it the first moment you saw her."

Kadaj stared around at the group before him. They began to walk towards him slowly. When they were only a few yards away, his gaze turned to the ceiling. As subtly as he could, his eyes followed a rope that held a large, chandelier-like torch to the ceiling. He smiled and spun his sword. The confused guards hesitated and as they finally gathered enough courage to come forward, Kadaj stopped spinning it and cut the rope. The torch fell to the ground and smothered his attackers. While Valda and the guards were yelling, Kadaj took off after Sachiko. An odd smell reached his nose and he turned to find his shirt on fire. Panicking, he tore the jacket and dress shirt off and threw them to the ground. He yelled as his hand hit the flame. He glanced at his blistered appendage before running again. He winced at the blistering feeling on his lower back, but he gritted his teeth and continued. Kadaj stopped as he heard yelling.

"Please, Kali, help us! Get us out!"

"Yuffie," Kadaj muttered. He followed the yelling and found his friends.

"Kadaj, snap her out of it!" Reno yelled when he realized Kadaj was there.

"Hurry up!" Cid screamed. Kadaj saw why. A small fire was growing in their cell, no doubt from another torch. He ran up to them and began trying to break down the door.

"I can't open it!" he yelled. At that moment, he saw through the small window of their cell. He saw Rude sitting there, waiting for them to come out. "One of you take this," he yelled. He tossed a small lighter to them. "Light it four times near the window and Rude will come and get you out. Where's Kali?"

"Just down the hall. There," Yuffie pointed. "Some woman in a blue dress followed her."

"Sachiko. Damn it," he muttered. He turned towards them. "When Rude gets here, leave one bike for the rest of us. We'll be out soon."

"Right," Yuffie nodded. "And Kadaj?"

"What?"

"Be careful," Reno finished. "She's not herself."

"Thanks," Kadaj whispered. He ran down the hall and found Sachiko standing very still.

"Kadaj," she whispered, waving her hand as she listened to him come up. He took it and stared at the sight before them. "Your sister is not herself. The Planet is afraid of her."

He furrowed his brow at this, but then Kadaj turned and saw Kali. She was staring out a window in the cell across from them. The door was gone and pieces of the wall were broken, making the doorway nearly three or four times as wide as it was supposed to be. He walked towards her, but stopped at the doorway. He was shaking as she turned. She was tearing pieces of the skirt on her dress. He did a double take when he realized that the top of her dress was torn so much, her breasts were exposed. He was two yards away from her when she dropped the piece of the skirt she was tearing and pulled out Masamune. She swung at Kadaj, but he brought his sword up just in time.

"Kali, what are you doing? Do you know how you look right now?"

".ilaK ton sie man yM" she said quietly, her voice echoing. He looked into her eyes and suppressed a gasp. They were shining silver, not just grey, and her pupils were very pronounced.

"Snap out of it," he ordered. "Kali, please."

".ihsanaN maI .ilaK ton maI" she whispered. Kadaj thought for a moment and turned it around. _I am not Kali. I am Nanashi._

"Nanashi…" he whispered.

"Very good," she replied.

"What have you done with my sister?"

"She is here," Nanashi smiled, pointing at her head. "She is locked in her own mind. That is where she is safe."

"Let her out."

"No. She must stay there so that I may shed these clothes and achieve my true form."

"What? Kali! Can you hear me?" he yelled.

"She cannot hear you. Her mind is lying dormant under mine. She will awaken when I fall unconscious or I choose to release her."

"Kali, fight her!" Kadaj screamed. Nanashi furrowed her brow.

"Why do you do this? Why do you wish her to awake? I am far stronger."

"But you are not the girl I love and would give my life for," Kadaj said solemnly.

Nanashi raised Masamune above her head and prepared to bring it down on his. As it came down, Kadaj raised his blade and caught Masamune. He spun the blade and the other landed to the side. Nanashi ran for it, but Kadaj tripped her and she tumbled.

"I'm sorry, sis," he muttered. Before Nanashi could get up, he struck her with the hilt of his blade. She fell still.

"Kadaj, what happened?" Sachiko called. He picked up Kali and grabbed Sachiko's hand as he ran past.

"I'll explain later. Come on, we have to go now! And give me your sash!" he yelled. As he did, he could hear a rumbling a few corridors down. As they reached the cell, Kadaj saw that the dungeons were collapsing. Dust was filling the corridor. Kadaj quickly wrapped the sash around as much of her upper body as he could, but it was not much help as the fabric was semitransparent.

"Stand back!" someone yelled from the other side of the door as he finished. Kadaj and Sachiko ran back as they heard a loud gunshot. The door flung open and the lock fell to the ground with a clunk. Kadaj smiled.

"This is the first time I've been happy to see you, Rude," he gasped. He picked up Kali, who had slipped from his grasp, and dragged Sachiko along.

"Who's this?" Rude asked.

"I'll explain when we get out. Take her out. I've got Kal."

Rude turned and climbed out the now enlarged window. He helped Sachiko, grabbing her staff as she held the other end. When she was up, Kadaj quickly pushed Kali through the small hole, Rude pulling her and trying not to glance at her chest. As Kadaj pulled himself up, he glanced back down the hall. His eyes went wide when he saw a large fireball flying towards him. With another surge of adrenaline, he dragged himself up and out of the dungeon.

"Run!" he screamed, as he picked Kali up off the ground. "They're blowing up the dungeons! Go, now!"

The others, having been waiting for him, now turned and ran towards the bikes. Kadaj followed slowly and painfully as his back was burned, his hand was just as bad, and Kali's weight added to his own. As the explosion reached the dungeon they had just left, tremors shook the ground under his feet. With a yell from each person, they all fell hard to the ground. Glancing back, Kadaj saw that they were a short distance from the building they had originally entered. The dungeons, he realized, were another, shorter building a slight distance away. Cursing himself for not knowing this sooner and wasting time, he stood shakily and picked up his sister once more, but as the building began collapsing, the shockwaves threw him back down. He turned in time to protect Kali from the blast, but he fell to the ground and began screaming at the new burning sensation on his back. As the waves passed over him, he fell to darkness.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj opened his eyes slowly. He tried to flex his burnt hand, which was resting upon his chest and felt constrained, but it hurt to do so. He glanced at it and saw that a bandage was wrapped tightly around it. He closed his eyes again, but as he began to fall under once more, he saw the events of the last time he was awake. With a start, he snapped open his eyes and compulsively threw his injured hand out. He jumped when it hit something. Looking over, he was highly embarrassed. The object had been Sachiko's breast. He took it away and turned red.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked back at her and was surprised to find a smile on her face.

"Don't be. It was an accident. No worries," she whispered. She moved from her chair to the bed he lay on and picked up a cloth from a bowl on the nightstand. She gently wiped his face after mistaking his chest for it.

"I guess we're even now," she grinned when he moved the cloth to the right place.

"I guess so," Kadaj replied with a smile on his own face. "Where are we?"

"An abandoned farm outside of Kalm," she said quietly. "You've been out for six days."

"Almost a week," he muttered. "How's Kali?"

"She still hasn't woken up."

"But she's going to be okay, right?" Kadaj asked worriedly as he sat up slightly. He winced at the pain in his back.

"Of course," she whispered, pushing him back down gently. "I think you overdid it when you hit her, though."

"How did you know?" he muttered. "That I hit her, I mean."

"I figured you did. She has a large lump on her head. Plus, you kept talking in your sleep," she said softly. Sachiko laid the cloth in the bowl of water again and held his hand. "You were saying how sorry you are for striking her."

"Where is she?"

"Right over there," Sachiko said quietly. Kadaj looked over and felt his heart ache. Kali was stretched out on a bed across the room. Her eyes were gently shut, but her arms and face were covered in bruises and cuts. He adverted his gaze when he noticed a particularly large one on top of her head.

"What's happened the past few days?"

"Hardly anything. We've mostly been waiting for you two to wake up. I was first to rise after the explosion and got everyone else up. Then we brought you here. The Hitomi group is in a panic because of me, as well."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Sachiko asked, giving him a sideways look.

"Taking you away. I saw a little bit of sadness in your face when you said that," he said quietly. Sachiko laid her hand on his cheek.

"Don't be. I'm only sad because now they're after you as well," she said softly. Kadaj shuddered as she laid her head on his chest. "I've been wanting to escape for quite some time. I'm grateful to you. Thank you so much."

"Sachiko," Kadaj sighed. He wanted to say something, anything, but nothing would come. He finally closed his eyes and laid a hand on the back of her head. He was on the verge of sleep when Sachiko suddenly stood and approached Kali's bed. "What's wrong?"

"I really should check on her," she replied. "Go to sleep."

"Sachiko?" he said softly. She shook her head and felt Kali's forehead. He waited for a reply. After receiving none, he closed his eyes and rolled onto his side to face the window. He fell asleep silently, but woke up a few hours later to voices talking outside the room.

"Hey Sachiko," Cid said. "Look, I'm really sorry about back in the cell. I honestly had no idea that you really are blind."

"Cid, you've unnecessarily apologized enough. I understand. Don't waste any more worry on the topic."

"I should go get some sleep. Good night," he called. Kadaj heard another set of footsteps join Sachiko as Cid's heavy steps receded and she bid him peace.

"Good night, Cid. So you're _The_ Hitomi, huh?" Yuffie asked as Kadaj rolled over.

"Yes. I've told you before."

"Sorry. It's just…" Yuffie sighed. "We really haven't gotten much time to talk. You've been cooped up in there with Kadaj and Kali for the past few days."

"He rescued me from the President. It's the least I can do to repay him," Sachiko said. Kadaj closed his eyes and lie still on his back as the door opened and the two women walked in.

"So do you like him?"

"He's a kind man. Of course I do."

"That's not what I meant. What I mean is do you like him the way I like Reno?"

"I cannot really say. I haven't really spoken with him enough. What does he look like?"

"He has silver hair to his shoulders. His eyes are green with pupils of a cat and he has a crossed scar on his cheek."

"Yes. I felt it when I wiped his face earlier."

"Do you know what I mean when I say 'green' and 'silver'?"

"Yes," Sachiko nodded. "I was not blind until the Meteor crisis. I was too close when it hit Midgar. The radiation and light ruined my eyes. It was hard at first, but I'm used to being unable to see."

"A lot of people lost their lives in the crisis. You're lucky," Yuffie whispered. Sachiko nodded in agreement as she knelt by Kadaj.

"From what I have felt of his facial and muscle structure, and what you just told me, Kadaj seems like a very handsome man. I wish I could see him."

"Maybe you will someday. Maybe your sight will come back."

"It will not. But thank you for the optimism," she smiled. "Would you check Kali for me?"

"Sure."

Kadaj listened as Yuffie walked over to Kali and squeezed extra water out of the cloth. He felt nervous as the edge of the bed lowered slightly with the weight of the woman. Sachiko picked up a cloth from Kadaj's bowl and wiped both his face and chest. He avoided a shudder as she knelt over him, found his cheek, and kissed it.

"Thank you, Kadaj," she whispered. "I'll be right here all night if you need me for anything within reason."

Kadaj opened his eyes ever so slightly to see Yuffie leaving and Sachiko lying on another bed in the room. He slowly rolled over and laid his hand on his cheek. With a content expression on his face, Kadaj fell back to sweet slumber. A few minutes later, he found himself awake and walking painfully over to the two women's beds. He hugged his unconscious sister and kissed the lump he gave her gently. When he looked into her face one more time, he turned to Sachiko and stood next to her, watching her sleep.

_So beautiful,_ he thought. He laid a hand on her face and closed his eyes._ I hope she doesn't find out her parents. After all, how could she love the son of their murderer? How could she love a man with my past? Hell, how can I love such a beauty of the Planet? How is it that I feel so strongly for one of which I know I am not worthy?_ He opened his eyes and allowed his tears to fall upon Sachiko's hand. She moved slightly at the feel, but did not wake. He stared a moment longer before returning to slumber himself.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

Kali woke with a start and sat up straight in bed, the morning sun shining through the clouds onto her face and Kadaj and Sachiko still fast asleep in their beds. She trembled and began crying heavily. She remembered nothing but death. She had watched the men fall by her hand, but she had been unable to stop herself. She sobbed harder as she pictured Kadaj and Masamune coming down on him. Kali finally regained control and lie back down. She cried silently as she suddenly thought of Devin that day on the tracks. As her eyes closed, she listened to heavy footsteps walk across the floor. She opened them at a hand on her forehead.

"You're finally up," Rude smiled. Another figure joined him.

"Hey kid, you feel better?" Reno asked. Kali nodded weakly.

"A little," she whispered hoarsely. Rude picked up a cup from the tray he had carried in.

"Drink it. You'll be able to talk and you'll feel even better," Rude said quietly as Kali sat up slowly.

"It's not potion, is it?" she moaned.

"No," Reno shook his head as he sat next to her. "Just tea with herbs that Sachiko said helps the sick."

Kali sipped it slowly. She looked down at the blankets, aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at her. Reno finally spoke.

"Kali… back at the dungeons," he said slowly. Kali gulped down the rest of her tea and slammed the mug down on the bed.

"I don't know what the hell happened to me, okay? I wasn't being myself. Don't bother asking. I don't want to talk about it," she snapped.

"Kali-" Rude began as he removed his glasses to wipe some dust off.

"I don't know what's wrong with me any more," she said angrily. She dug her fingers into her scalp and began crying. "I feel horrible about those men. I don't even know how I did it. Don't talk to me about it."

"Kali, just listen to us. We don't want to talk about it either," Reno insisted.

"I hate this place. I want to go back to Jahan. I want Vincent back and I want to see Devin again. I want to go home where people aren't held in dungeons or framed for avenging their parent's death. I want to go back to a world that isn't so fucked up," she moaned.

As she sat sobbing loudly, Kadaj and Sachiko stirred slowly. Rude laid his glasses aside and sat next to her. He wrapped his arms around her as Kadaj looked over at them. Kali buried her face into Rude's shoulder as her brother watched silently and worriedly. Reno rubbed Kali on the back slowly.

"That's it. Go on. Cry, Kali," Rude whispered gently, his eyes closing to hide his own tears of sympathy. "You need it."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Okay, chapter 16 up. Yippee! I know updates have been really quick lately, but they might slow down a little bit after this one. I'm not stopping or putting this on hiatus like KHFD, but I need to get my thoughts in order. So don't get mad if it's another week or two before chapter 17 is up. Okay? And from now on, Nanashi's speech will be shown translated except when in Kali's mind. Anytime she (yes, Nanashi is female) talks to Kali in her dreams, mind, etc and cannot be seen, her speech will be backwards. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Blood is tasty and carnage is fun! And I know you're not a fan girl. But you can still dislike her for ((SPOILER WORD)) a kick ass character.

**Panny Savage:** You'll find out more about Sachiko in the next few chapters. As for Kadaj doing unexpected things, I suppose anything he does here is unexpected since nobody really knows how he's supposed to act. Except Square-Enix. Darn them… but the movie looks awesome. Did you watch the trailer I mentioned a couple of chapters ago? If you haven't, you should. And I agree, there's no limit to the number of times you can fall in love with him. ((sigh))

**Kizna1200:** Wow, you haven't reviewed in awhile. I'm glad you're still reading. Maybe her mom was Aeris, maybe not… ((shifty eyes)) Actually, you'll find out in the next few chapters. And I won't tell you that Kadaj falls for Sachiko. I'm sure you already deduced that from the chapter. And Kali might have a few more psycho spells.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	17. Blood Spilt

****

Chapter 17

Blood Spilt

Kali stretched and stood slowly. After first regaining consciousness, she and Kadaj remained in bed for three more days. It was rather enjoyable. Cid, Reno, Rude, Yuffie, and Sachiko practically waited on them hand and foot. Kali sighed as she slid her socks on her feet. Her bruises were considerably smaller and her cuts had scabbed over wonderfully, so she knew that the treatment wouldn't last much longer. Looking over at her brother, Kali couldn't help smiling. He was sitting up against the pillows and dozing, a book lying open in his lap. How often that had happened to her, Kali was unsure. She walked over silently and laughed when she saw the book. He had been reading _Four Past Midnight_. Looking at her bag, she found it unzipped. She quietly marked the place and placed the book next to the bed before shaking him gently.

"Kadaj? Are you awake?" she whispered. He opened his eyes slowly.

"You feel any better?" he muttered. He rubbed his eyes and massaged his burned hand. "Seem better than me, anyway."

"You'll be fine soon. Sachiko said so," Kali said quietly, her eyes looking to the ground slightly.

"You jealous of her?" Kadaj asked in disbelief. Kali shook her head and smiled.

"Of course not. I was about to go downstairs. Can I bring you something?"

"Yeah," he said slowly and grinned. "They got any booze down there?"

"I doubt they'll let you have any," Kali smiled. "How about a bowl of soup? A glass of milk maybe?"

"Yeah, I guess soup will be fine. Thanks kid," he said quietly. He clasped her hand tightly.

"Kadaj? Thank _you_," Kali said gently. When he looked at her strangely, she brushed his bangs away to look into his big green eyes. "You've done so much. You took care of my ankle and you saved me from the train. Back in the dungeon, you made Nanashi let go of me. You put my life before yours when you covered me from the blast. Thank you, my brother."

"You're my baby sister," he said. Kadaj smiled up at her softly. "I would give anything for your safety. I know father would want that if he were here. I can almost imagine what he would have said the day you were born. 'Kadaj, you take care of her. Don't you let her out of your sight. Don't let anyone push her around or hurt her. Put Kali before yourself.'"

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I really do," Kadaj nodded after watching her a moment. He wrapped his arms around her. "We might have known each other for only a couple of weeks, but I love you, little sis."

"I love you, too, big bro," she replied. She returned the hug and turned to go downstairs. "I'll be back in a few."

Kali walked down the staircase slowly so as not to open her wounds or agitate her bruises. She glanced out the window on the way down and her heart sank. She moved faster and burst into the kitchen where the others were making lunch for her and Kadaj.

"How do you feel, Kali?" Yuffie asked as she walked in. She was suddenly worried at Kali's pale complexion. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"We have to leave now," she whispered hoarsely. She coughed to clear her throat.

"Why?" Reno asked nervously.

"Tifa and Marlene are on their way here. They'll be here any minute."

"Oh, my god," Cid muttered as he stood. Sachiko looked up at them questioningly.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Very bad news," Rude answered. They ran upstairs to gather their things and get Kadaj. A horrible sight met them when they had their bags and walked into Kadaj's room.

"Don't move," Tifa snapped. She had Kadaj's uninjured arm behind his back and he was on his knees. His face was curled into a mixed look of rage and pain. Marlene stood next to him with a pistol next to his skull.

"Kill them," Kadaj moaned through gritted teeth. "They can kill me if they want, but make sure you kill them or run."

"What do you want?" Kali whispered. Her hand went to her side, ready to grasp Masamune, but the sound of the pistol cocking stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Unless of course, you want him to know what poor Vincent went through to die," Marlene smiled.

"Marlene, what are you doing? You used to be a good girl!" Cid cried.

"That was before the Meteor crap. Do you realize what's happened to me?" she said. "I was kidnapped to make sure AVALANCHE did what the Turks wanted. Two years later, his buddy," she muttered, the pistol digging slightly into his skull, "tried to use me to bring Denzel out of hiding. Just a few weeks ago, I watched Cloud be put into the ground and papa die. That type of stuff tends to change a girl, especially when she becomes old enough to realize the significance of those events."

"Oh, cry me a river," Reno rolled his eyes. "Do you think watching Vincent die wasn't tough on us?"

"It wasn't tough on you. Kali was the only one to watch it."

"How did you…?" Cid gasped. Everyone was taken aback. Tifa only laughed.

"I know now. Thank you, Cid. Now Reno, why do you say Vincent's death was tough on you? You wanted him to die, right?" Tifa reminded him. Reno shook his head immediately. "You said many times after our little trip fifteen years ago that you were glad Vincent got killed."

"Reno?" Yuffie gasped as he shook his head at her.

"I know what you're thinking, Yuffie. It's not like it sounds. I know just as well as you do what he went through in his life. I wanted him to die so he would be at peace and happy and with Lucrecia again."

"Of course you did," Tifa said with a smirk. "That's why you tried so hard to keep him from going to the grave, right?"

"Huh," he sighed. Reno had no comeback. His gaze turned to Yuffie. He froze when he saw the anger and pain in her eyes as she stared. She turned away before he spoke further.

"What do you want?" Yuffie repeated. Her voice trembled.

"Give us Kali and Sachiko and we'll forget about you," Marlene told them with a nod in their direction.

"And you'll let Kadaj go?" Sachiko whispered hopefully. Kadaj looked up at her and shook his head even though she couldn't see.

"Sachiko, no. Run, please," he pleaded. His eyes began burning with tears when she shook her head.

"How sweet that the two lovebirds don't want each other to die. But no," Tifa shrugged. "We keep the three of them and the rest of you keep your lives. Either way, he dies," she said solemnly as she turned his arm farther. Kadaj yelled in pain as he felt he muscles and bones straining to stay in place and not break.

"What about Sachiko? She doesn't have anything to do with this," Cid pointed out. He took a step to block her from going forward.

"Shinra has offered quite an impressive reward for her safe return. Besides, with the two of them being in love, there's no telling what has happened since the banquet. Sachiko could have Kadaj's child growing inside her right now for all we know," Tifa explained.

"We haven't slept together!" Kadaj snapped, his face turning somewhat red. "We've barely laid a hand on each other."

"And you expect us to take your word for it?" Tifa said cruelly. "We can't let Sephiroth's little family continue to grow now, can we? That is, if you can call the two of you a family."

"So what's it going to be?" Marlene smiled. She looked at the others.

"I'll go," Kali said quietly. Sachiko agreed and held Kali's hand.

"We'll go together," she muttered. Tifa smiled. Nobody noticed Kadaj's gaze turning to the corner.

"Good girls. Now come here and we'll leave."

"If you knew who Sachiko's mother was, you wouldn't be so quick to turn her over to Shinra or kill her," Kadaj said suddenly. Everyone froze and stared at him.

"Kadaj, who was my mother?" Sachiko demanded. "If you know who my parents are, please tell me!"

"Yes, tell us," Tifa ordered. Kadaj smiled and looked over his shoulder.

"I'll tell you if you put down the gun and let them go."

"We'll put the gun down," Tifa nodded towards Marlene, "but they are still our prisoners."

"Very well. Her mother," Kadaj began as Marlene put the gun on the floor. He took a deep breath and said quickly, "Is none of your fucking business. Now!"

Kadaj lowered his head and a bullet flew over it. The room was silent as Rude stepped from the shadows, a gun raised and smoking. Tifa yelped and grabbed her arm as the bullet hit and she started bleeding heavily. She let go of Kadaj and he grabbed his bag while running for the door. The others followed, their own bags slung over their backs, and hopped on the cycles our front.

"There's no room!" Kali yelled. Kadaj grabbed her and Sachiko and sat with them on his bike.

"You two are staying with me. Keep your heads down," Kadaj commanded as he hopped on behind them. He brought the motor to life and sped off as the others got on theirs.

After only five minutes, Tifa and Marlene were following quickly. Kadaj ducked as a bullet whizzed by his head. The others stayed behind him slightly to chase off Marlene and Tifa, but it was no use. They drove into the Midgar ruins, where the roads were narrow and only one cycle could fit down any one. As Kadaj came to the first of such streets, the others swerved down two side streets and tried to find a place to meet him. As he drove, Kali and Sachiko shaking with fright, he was constantly swerving, ducking, and making sharp turns to avoid the bullets.

Finally, he had an idea. Kadaj turned down a slightly wider street and waited until Tifa and Marlene were going top speed. When he was sure there was space between them for his bike to fit, he threw the bike into reverse and turned as he passed them. As they tried to turn to pursue him, they began to topple. While Tifa fell, Marlene did the same, but not before firing one last shot. They turned a corner as the bullet reached them. As they turned sharply, they could here the bullet hit the building. Sachiko screamed, but they didn't stop for quite some time.

When he finally did stop outside the town, Kadaj began laughing. Tifa and Marlene hadn't followed them. His friends came up to him and smiled too, but stopped when they saw Sachiko. Kadaj was the last to stop grinning. He leapt off the vehicle and pulled Sachiko off. She was crying, and it was easy to see why. The last bullet had bounced off of the wall and torn through her shoulder. Now she was bleeding all over the ground. Kadaj glanced at his own shoulder and found her blood splattered on it.

"Oh, my god. Sachiko I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were hit," he whispered sadly. He held her hand and gripped her shoulder, trying to stop the blood flow. She smiled.

"No worries," she replied, her eyes filling with tears. "You couldn't have known for the stress and panic."

"We need to get the bullet out before we can bandage it," Kadaj said to his friends. Yuffie nodded in agreement.

"Right. Who here can perform surgery?" she asked. Nobody replied. "Damn it."

"We can hurry to Kalm and find a doctor, maybe?" Reno suggested. Rude shook his head.

"It'll take too long. She's dying," he said solemnly. Kali closed her eyes at the feel of tears. She didn't want to cry, but her brother's own tears were too much for her. She glanced at the man and woman one more time before closing them again. This time, she closed them in concentration.

".ilaK ,tiod nacu oY"

"I don't know how," she whispered.

".nacu oy won kI .ilaK tioD"

"How? I've never done it before," she replied, her voice raised slightly in frustration.

"Done what?" Cid asked. They were all staring at her.

".en ift sujeb l'lu oyd na ,emot net sil ,ilaK"

"You took my body from me. How can I trust you?"

"?yp pah nueb ot ,reh torb ru oy ,jadaK t'na wu oyoD ?ei dot reht nawu oyoD ?ev ahu oy odec iohct ahW"

"Let me try," Kali said suddenly as Cid laid a hand on her shoulder. She reached into the first aid kit and sanitized her hands. She took a breath and reached towards the wound. "I can't."

".uoy nieve ilebI .woN .tioD"

Kali took a deep breath and wiped the blood away. The wound was unusually large for a bullet injury. It was perfect for what she was going to do. Trembling, Kali slowly enlarged the wound enough to reach her fingers in. She struggled to ignore the cries of pain coming from her patient. Kadaj stared at her and grabbed her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped angrily. "You're going to kill her faster!"

"I know what I'm doing," she whispered. They glared at each other. "Do you want to give her even the slightest chance or not?"

Kadaj hesitated before letting her go and holding Sachiko instead. Kali turned back and slowly dug her hand into the wound. Sachiko was crying before, but now she was screaming. Kali winced at the sound, but dug deeper anyway. Kadaj and Sachiko were holding each other's hands so tightly, their knuckles were white and their fingers were turning purple. Kali's hand was in up to her knuckles when she brushed something small, metal, and round.

"!tu otie kat woN .tist ahT .seY"

Kali wrapped her fingers around the bullet and gently pulled it out. Sachiko screamed once more before falling unconscious.

"…en od lleW"

Kali finished removing the bullet as Kadaj checked her pulse and breathing. Kali stood and walked away. She shook as she stared at the object. Glancing back, she saw Kadaj carefully cleaning up the blood and talking quietly, even though Sachiko was unable to respond. She was somewhat surprised and amused at the sight of Reno turned away and throwing up. Yuffie was turned away and in tears, but she had better control of her stomach. Rude and Cid had the first aid kit open and were helping Kadaj bandage her shoulder. Kali looked back at the small marble in her bloody hand. She looked out at the ruins and sighed. With one last look at her hand, she closed her eyes and fainted.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I feel bad," Yuffie whispered.

"Why?" Kadaj asked.

"Today," she replied. "Everything has gone wrong."

"How so?" Rude muttered.

"It just feels like everything that could have gone wrong has."

"We're alive. Sachiko's going to live. At least that's gone right today," Kadaj reassured her.

Kali lie perfectly still. She refused to make any sign that she was awake. Kadaj had her hand clenched in his. Even though her eyes were shut, she somehow knew that his other hand held Sachiko's. Kali closed her eyes tighter. She was hoping that maybe if she lay there long enough, she would fall asleep but not wake up again. She listened as the others walked away. Unfortunately, Kadaj saw her eyelids twitch when she shut them and he squeezed her hand.

"You're awake."

"No I'm not," she muttered.

"Nice try," Kadaj chuckled and began to tickle her side. She pushed his hand away gently.

"Kadaj, please," she whispered. She opened her eyes slowly. Kadaj was surprised to see tears in them.

"Are you okay?" he asked, both his arms wrapping around her.

"No. I haven't been okay since Vincent brought me here. I don't even know how much I've had to tell people that."

"Kali, I'm here. I'll take care of you."

"I know. But you're not the one I want right now," she said quietly. Kali sat up and looked at her hand. The blood was mostly gone, but her hand still had a reddish tint. She curled it into a fist. "I want Devin."

"Who's he?"

"My very best friend from back home. No," she whispered. Kadaj could see a hatred and anger growing in her eyes. "I don't want him. I don't ever want to see him again."

"Kali," Kadaj said, "you're scaring your big brother."

"The day you found me on the tracks, Devin showed up just before you did. He knew I was hurt. He knew the train was coming. And he just walked away," she said through gritted teeth. She struggled to hold back tears. "He left me there to die. He was going to let himself get hit, but then he took off with some woman in white. I used to love him. Right now I hate that bastard."

"Don't talk like that," Kadaj said quietly. He hugged his sister and let her cry on his shoulder.

"Then I had a dream that he raped me. Afterwards, he murdered me."

"It's okay. Everything's fine now."

"No, it's not. I want to go home. I want to go and never come back to this place," she moaned. Kadaj, who had been patting and rubbing her back, froze. He pushed her away and stared at her.

"Kali, how can you say that? After everything we've done for you?" he whispered, looking around at their friends. "Do you know how tough it would have been if we weren't here for you? I guarantee you wouldn't have lasted five minutes here if not for them. If I hadn't wanted to know who you are, you would be a corpse on a train engine and length of tracks right now."

"Thanks, but it doesn't change anything," she muttered, bringing her knees to her chest. Kadaj held up his necklace.

"Do you really want to turn your back on father? This was his world. If it weren't for Cloud, he would be ruler. Do you really want to leave him? Do you really want to leave me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look Kali," he whispered. "I'm nearly one hundred percent sure that my mother is dead. Father left me when I was ten. You know that. When he summoned Meteor, I had hoped that maybe when he ruled the world, he would take care of me again. Then Cloud killed him and shattered my hopes. I met Loz and Yazoo the same night. I lived and worked with them. I pretended I was a clone. When we finally brought father back, I was thrilled. I let Loz and Yazoo get killed for that. A few hours later, I watched our dad die again.

"Kali, I was forced to live in exile. I couldn't go into bars to find a girlfriend, I had to steal my food so I didn't starve. I couldn't even let anyone look at me. I was all alone after father died. You can't know how long I've wanted someone to love. No one's loved me since Cloud murdered dad. I'm your brother and I love you. I don't want to hurt you and I want you to be happy. But leaving is something I can't let you do. I've waited too long to have someone to care about. Please, don't turn your back on father and I."

"You don't need me anymore," Kali said angrily as she stood.

"What?" Kadaj gasped. Kali looked at the sleeping form of Sachiko next to him.

"You have her now. She can give you more than I can. She can give you sex and someday a child. I can only give you a friend. Why do you need me around?" Kali said bitterly. She turned and walked to her other friends sitting by a fire a few yards away. Kadaj was speechless. He swallowed painfully and let tears fall down his face before turning to the woman next to him.

"That was brave," Cid said to Kali as she sat. "You know, putting your hand into the wound like that."

"I was doing the right thing," she muttered. Kali picked up a piece of meat and chewed it slowly.

"It was disgusting," Reno said thickly as he ate his own food. Yuffie glanced at him and closed her eyes.

"I agree with Cid. It was very brave. You've got a good heart Kali. Unlike some people," she muttered under her breath. Reno heard her and threw the rest of his dinner into the fire.

"Yuffie, chill!" he snapped, standing angrily. "I'm sorry, okay? I cried when he died, didn't I?"

"Reno, you said that it makes you cry when I do. How do I know those tears weren't because of me?"

"What happened to the Yuffie that trusted me enough to let me stay in her house and rule her city when Godo dies? What happened to the Yuffie that worried about me? What about the girl who used to kiss me before going to sleep and after waking the past two weeks?"

"Tifa killed that girl this afternoon," Yuffie muttered angrily. Reno stared at her and curled his hands into fists. He swallowed with difficulty.

"I hate you Yuffie," he said quietly. Yuffie closed her eyes.

"Well you know what? I hate you, too."

Reno stared in shock at her for another moment. Kali could see the tears swelling in his eyes at those words. He finally turned and walked towards the ruins. Kali began to go after him to remind him of her promise, but stopped when he turned back.

"Don't worry Kali," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I haven't forgotten. I'm not going to leave you or go find Tifa. I just need to leave for a little while," he said quietly. He was gone a moment later.

"What have I done?" Yuffie muttered, her eyes closed tightly. Her tears slipped from between her lids. She dried her eyes, stood, and looked to the sky. "Whatever. He said it first. I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Good night," Kali said weakly. Yuffie laid in her sleeping bag, a place she hadn't slept in weeks. The rest of them sat in silence, too stunned to say anything.

"Love is fickle," Rude finally muttered. Cid and Kali looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Cid asked.

"Love can be confused with hatred. Grief clouds the caring for another. Reno and Yuffie are still grieving over Vincent. That's why they're fighting now. Hell, we're all still grieving. But sometimes when you love somebody deep enough, even without the sadness of other events, you seem to do nothing but cause them pain. Until you've known the person a long time or you've had many relationships, you don't truly know how to show your feelings. Then when you finally figure it out, your lover breaks up with you or cheats. Sometimes they die before you even get a chance to tell them what they truly mean to you. Some people go their entire lives not knowing how someone feels about them."

"You're right," Cid agreed. Kali only sat quietly. She glanced at Kadaj. Looking back into the fire for a moment, she stood. "Where are you going?"

"I have to talk to my brother," she said softly.

Kali approached Kadaj to find him curled up in his sleeping bag and shivering. Sachiko was wrapped up in some blankets next to him. Kali, too, shivered as the wind blew. She closed her eyes at the sight of tears trickling down his face. Kali placed a hand gently on his shoulder, but he continued to cry, shiver, and seemingly sleep.

"Kadaj, I'm sorry. Sachiko is a very kind, gentle, and loving woman. You're lucky. And I'm sorry I've been so moody and bitchy today. Kadaj, I love you. You're the only family I have, too. You mean so much to me. Thank you. Do you hear me? I love you, brother."

Kali waited a moment, but Kadaj remained in the same state except the tears. Instead of slowing as she expected, they increased. Kali began to cry, too. She silently opened the bag, laid down in it, and zipped it back up. Kali pulled Kadaj's arms around her and held his hands close to her chest and in her own. She snuggled up to his chest as tightly as she could. She slowly fell asleep. When she was under, Kadaj opened his eyes and pulled her closer to him. He whispered into her ear.

"I'm sorry too, and you have no reason to apologize. I love you," he muttered, his voice cracking. Kadaj slowly joined her in sleep, unaware that he was about to join her dreams as well.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** I lied. The update took less than a week. So sue me. Not that you'll get much money. Anywhosits, what a Kodak moment between Kadaj and Kali, eh? God, my writing has gotten loving and sickening… not at all like I intended for this fic… I have one disclaimer. I 'borrowed' the stick-the-hand-into-the-wound-and-take-out-the-bullet-thing from the movie _The Matrix Reloaded_. For those of you who haven't seen it, Neo (hero played by Keanu Reeves) does the same thing to another character kinda in the middle to the endish part of the movie. Something like that. After the kick-ass highway scene, that's all I know. Okay, what do ya'll wanna know?

**Merielle:** Sorry I didn't reply to you for chapter 16! You reviewed about an hour after I updated. So to make up for it, yes, I used a blind character. They're so cool, and the possibilities of their significance is endless. As you saw, she did indeed go insane. She'll have a few more such parts later. Now, for last chapter: Nanashi has indeed been revealed. And she will continue to both make Kali go insane and help her. And Kadaj, as you have seen, is definitely in love. And the story will continue to be depressing from now on, especially after a certain event in chapter 20 or after (not sure if I can push the event back farther than that).

**Sayahiei:** At least you could figure out the spoiler easily. And you can root for Nanashi. She, believe it or not, is a good guy. She just has some issues.

**Mediciner:** Well, you're right. Her parents are indeed Aeris and someone else (you'll find out her father later), and Aeris did do it before she died. I don't feel bad giving it away, since I think everyone's figured it out by now. Nanashi is basically Kali's subconscious. I guess that's the best way I can describe her right now. The 'true form' she talked about can be found in an earlier chapter. Cookie for you if you find it! You'll find out what she has to do with Kali near the end, maybe a little before. Or you can find out if you find her form. No, she's not turning into a crazed Sephy. But she'll be a shell/shadow of sorts by the time the story is over. Nanashi causes the spasms when Kali has moments of blinding fury. And you were bored? Not with the chapter,I hope? Just kidding.

**NM:** Thanks for keeping up with me! Next chapter shouldn't take too long. I hope…

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	18. Dream a Dream, Love

****

Chapter 18

Dream a Dream, Love

_Kadaj stared around. He was standing in a field, trying to figure out where he was. He turned at a hand placing itself on his shoulder._

_"Kadaj? What are you doing here?" Kali asked. She stared up at him, a confused look on her face._

_"What do you mean? This is a dream," he said simply. Kali shook her head._

_"This is _my_ dream. How are you here?" she muttered. Kadaj furrowed his brow. _

_"So we're in each other's dream?"_

_"It seems like it."_

_"Where is this?" he inquired, turning again to the field._

_"I don't know. Most of my dreams have been here. There have been many times that father has brought me to this place."_

_"Father?" Kadaj gasped. Kali nodded._

_"It's an image made by the Lifestream, but the real place is somewhere on the Planet. Can you tell me where this is?"_

_"I'm not sure. Let's walk around. I might be able to place it," he suggested. He took Kali's hand and walked a few paces. He froze when they reached the bottom of a rock wall. "I know this place."_

_"So where are we?"_

_"I don't remember where this is exactly, but I remember following Cloud here almost twenty years ago."_

_"Well then, let's get up there. We won't know unless we go," Kali smiled. She began running up a path that steadily rose towards the top in a zigzag movement. "Come on!"_

_"Kali, wait! This is a bad idea!" he called after her. When she didn't stop, he sighed and followed. Kali laughed as she ran, but Kadaj was running at top speed, trying to reach his sister and stop her._

_"Come on slow poke! You're not _that_ old! You can catch up to me!" _

_"Kali…" Kadaj yelled in aggravation. A moment later, he was next to Kali at the top, but he had his hands on his knees and was gasping for breath. "I forgot how long that run is…"_

_"Relax," she smiled, but she was panting as well. "Look at this. It's so amazing."_

_"I know this place now," Kadaj muttered as he looked. "This is the Northern Crater. Father was frozen by the Lifestream after falling in at the Nibelheim reactor. This is where he rested. He summoned Meteor from here after Cloud gave him the Black Materia."_

_"This is it?" Kali whispered._

_"Yeah," Kadaj nodded. He gazed out over the large crater until a movement above it caught his eye. "What the hell is that?"_

_"Huh?" Kali gasped. Kadaj pointed and she followed his gaze. She nodded. "It's daddy. He's in trouble."_

_"Dad?" Kadaj repeated in disbelief._

_High above them, over the middle of the crater, were two creatures flying around. The larger one was beyond words. The other, smaller one was unmistakably Sephiroth. He was flying around her, his mismatched wings flapping tirelessly. He had a large sword in his hand, but it wasn't Masamune. From their vantage point, it seemed to be a regular-sized katana. In his other hand, he held a decent-sized black marble. As he began flying towards the siblings, the creature reached out and hit him in the back. Sephiroth screamed and dropped the ball into the creature's outstretched hand. His wings stopped flapping and he dropped at his children's feet._

_"Daddy!" Kali yelled. She and Kadaj knelt with him, but they were too late. Sephiroth stared up at them and muttered two words as he took one more breath and turned to dust._

_"Stop her," he muttered. Kadaj held his hand tightly, wincing as it turned to dust in his palm._

_"What now?" he muttered shakily as their father's remains blew away in the wind._

_"We watch," Kali said simply. Kadaj turned to follow her gaze. He gasped to see two familiar people running down the side of the mountain._

_Kadaj and Kali watched as the two silver-haired people in black reached the bottom and glared at the woman that now stood in the center. In her hands was the black ball. Hanging from her neck was a white ball about the same size. She smiled at them and told them that they were too late. The woman turned into the monster as Kadaj and Kali leapt to the bottom, landing harmlessly. They watched as the person with pure silver hair ran up to the monster, his double-blade ready to attack. He made contact, but the creature only screamed in pain and picked him up by the throat. She squeezed his neck and they listened as he gurgled and struggled for breath. As her wound healed, the monster pulled back her hand and threw the man against the rock wall. Kali and Kadaj remained put, the body flying right through them. Kadaj, his arms having gone up in protection, lowered them to look at the man now lying behind them. He slapped a hand to his mouth._

_"No," he shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. The girl with silver and black hair ran to the man and knelt. She held him and kissed his cheek while the man smiled weakly and closed his eyes._

_"I'm sorry, Kali," he whispered. Blood dripped from the back of his head as he stopped breathing. The girl gritted her teeth and screamed as she looked up to the night sky._

_"Kadaj! No!" she yelled. Kali closed her eyes at the sound of her dream self. As the dream continued to cry, the woman in white came up behind her. Dream Kali muttered angrily, "You murdered my brother."_

_"Of course. You are my enemies. Did you not do the same to Tifa and Marlene?"_

_"That was revenge. What did he ever do to you?"_

_"You two children tried to stop me. That is reason enough to kill you."_

_"You fucking bitch!" Dream Kali yelled angrily. She turned and shoved Masamune through the woman's abdomen. It stuck out through the other side, but the woman only stood calmly as her blood dripped down her body, turning her outfit red. She slowly walked closer to Dream Kali, the sword digging farther and farther into her._

_"Do you honestly think you can kill me this way?" she whispered as she reached the hilt._

_The woman grabbed the sword just under the hilt and lifted Dream Kali off of the ground. She was slammed into the rock wall and landed next to her dead brother. The real Kali and Kadaj knelt by her to see if she was alive. Her chest rose slowly. The woman slapped Dream Kali and woke her. As the dream girl watched, the woman pushed the hilt through her body and pulled the sword from her back. She raised the blade as the girl fell under again._

_"She's going to kill me…" Kali muttered to Kadaj. He nodded and looked away before a voice began to speak quietly._

_"!tu oemt eL !lasop sidru oyta ebl liwtI !m'ro fuer tyme katl liwu oydna uoyr ofseh tolc der et tate seht deh semt eL !uoyr ofeg neve rehtl lifem teL !d'nim ru oyni tie esna cI !odu oyes ru ocfO ?eg neve ert nawto nu oyoD .reh torb ru oyde red rum ehS .rehl likd nayd obru oyek atre voot emwol lA .tsa ebs iht tae fed ton nace nolau oytah twon ku oY .reht aef edna cI ,emtell liw uoyfI !t'ne momar ofpe elsay ats ,ilaK"_

_"Nanashi," the two siblings whispered._

_"You know you cannot defeat me. There is only one who can. I know you will not let her out. You need not fret over your brother. You will be together again soon," the white woman muttered, the blade raised high above her head, "and I will be able to summon them again."_

_As the blade came down, Dream Kali, without looking up at the woman, grabbed Dream Kadaj's sword and brought it up. Masamune was caught between the blades. She turned the double blade and Masamune fell into her lap harmlessly._

_"No," Dream Kali whispered as she stood and let her coat fall to the ground, "you will not summon them back," her gaze rose to look at the woman angrily, "and I will let her out. Nanashi, please, send me your true form. AH!" _

_The Dream Kali threw her head back and screamed as she changed her shape. The real Kali began trembling as she took the shape she had seen before. The Dream clutched the sword in her normal hand and glared at the woman with shining silver cat eyes. Kadaj's jaw dropped._

_"She looks like Safer Sephiroth," he gasped. Kali trembled as the woman, now five times smaller than the Dream Kali, chuckled and stared up at her._

_"Very well then. Have it your way," she laughed. The woman changed back into the monster. They charged at each other as Kali and Kadaj faded out of the scene._

_NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN_

_"Where are we now?" Kali moaned. The two of them stood in another field. There was nothing there except grass and a city on the horizon. Kadaj looked up and gasped._

_"Kali…" he whispered. He pointed to the horizon and Kali cried out in surprise and alarm._

_"Kadaj, what are those?" she yelled. Falling from the sky on the horizon was a large stone of fire. The city was being torn up below it. Coming at them from below the rock was what appeared to be water, but it was green. It, too, was tearing the ground apart as it traveled closer and closer._

_"The stone is Meteor. The green river is Holy. Holy was made from the Lifestream and is part of it. Damn it," he muttered. "Why is Meteor back and Holy destroying the land?"_

_"I think we should run," Kali suggested as the river was upon them. The two of them began running, but as they did, the scenery disappeared and everything was dark._

_NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN_

_"Kadaj. Kali."_

_"Who's there?" Kadaj yelled. They were in the crater again, but it was empty. A man in a white trench coat with only one arm approached them from seemingly nowhere. Kali recognized him as one of the men that had welcomed Vincent to the Lifestream._

_"Kadaj," he smiled, "how… nice… to see you again."_

_"Why are we here, Rufus?" he said angrily._

_"Everything you've just seen. Your father wanted to be here. That was the first thing he wanted me to tell you."_

_"Where's daddy?" Kali asked immediately._

_"He had other things to do. You might not realize it, but the Lifestream is a rather busy place. Your father has to help prepare the stream for the next batch of spirits. But you want to know about the events you just saw, yes?"_

_"Go on," Kadaj said stiffly._

_"There is a woman-" he began before Kadaj cut him off._

_"No shit, she just killed me and tried to kill Kali!"_

_"If you would let me finish," Rufus snapped. Kadaj fell silent. "This woman will stop at nothing to destroy the Planet. She is an escaped soul and is damn near invincible. She took over the body of a recently deceased woman about fifteen years ago, thus bringing her back to life. The woman grew normally enough, but so did the invading spirit. Now, the spirit has complete control over her body. They used to have two names, but now they are known only by the spirit name."_

_"Which is?" Kali inquired. Rufus shook his head._

_"We dare not speak it here. She is an evil bitch. Normally we would be glad to be rid of souls like that, but not this time. She is threatening the entire Planet, both the Lifestream and the plane of the living._

_"We are only now learning of her plans. She began putting them into play not long before your arrival," he explained, a nod added towards Kali, "perhaps one or two years. We don't have all of the details, but we know that they have to do with Meteor and Holy as you saw. We fear that she is trying to summon them again to destroy the world," he whispered. His gaze dropping and voice saddening._

_"That's impossible. The Black Materia was destroyed with father and the White Materia was lost. Even if she got a hold of them, their powers were dispersed long ago. They wouldn't work," Kadaj shrugged._

_"But there were two of each."_

_"Two?" Kadaj gasped. Kali only looked between them, confused beyond belief._

_"Yes," Rufus nodded. "They're copies that Hojo made and hid. The originals were indeed destroyed, but the copies hold the same powers._

_"What you two saw is what will happen at the end of your journey. When you have killed Tifa, Marlene, and every memory of them and the others, and you have gained strength enough to go to the Northern Crater, Kadaj will die and Kali will choose to let Nanaki free and fight to destroy the beast. Before they fight, the enemy will summon Meteor and Holy. Kali, you will only have a short time to kill her and destroy the Materia before Meteor reaches the Planet and Holy reaches the surface. Once we know how long, one of us will pull you in and tell you. What you witnessed with Meteor and Holy was what will happen if Kali fails to defeat her."_

_"But Holy is a force of good. How can it destroy?" Kadaj shook his head._

_"If it falls into the hands of evil, the White Materia becomes evil as well. It can destroy if that is what the Summoner wants it to do."_

_"What can Nanashi do?" Kali spoke up. "Nanashi is evil, I feel it. She took over my body and made me kill all of those men."_

_"She did what she thought was necessary to let you live. You also have no control over your emotions," Rufus said simply. He held up his hand as Kali began to protest this insult. "Allow me to finish before you blow up. When you are extremely angry, you are blinded by hate and the anger. When you kill a man, you feel a sort of sick joy. Those are the emotions that leave you most vulnerable. Nanashi only takes over if you let her during these times. Learn to resist. You can do it._

_"I have one more request," he said quietly. He looked to Kadaj with a pleading look in his eyes. "Stop my daughter. She's trying to bring our family back into power. I know that the Planet will be in greater danger with her in control whether you stop the beast or not. She's too much like me. You, Kadaj, saw how terribly my father and I led the Planet. If you have to kill Valda, do it," he whispered, his gaze falling to the ground again. "She'll want to die soon anyway. Her mother is dying and doesn't have much longer. Please, stop her."_

_"I will," Kadaj nodded. He looked at Rufus with a stony gaze._

_"Rufus? Another thing about Nanashi…" Kali began. "How did she become part of me?"_

_"Well, Kali," Rufus smiled. "You know how the beast-" he looked up at the sound of a whistle. "Damn it. I must leave you. We're out of time. One of us will pull you back soon. Oh, and be sure to keep an eye on Sachiko."_

_"But what about-" Kadaj started to say._

_"I'll explain about Nanashi later. You must go now."_

_"Rufus? Give Vincent a hug for me," Kali requested. Rufus smiled and nodded before walking away. He faded as Kadaj and Kali closed their eyes and felt their physical selves begin to stir._

mythatwill

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj?" Kali whispered. He was standing, arms crossed, on top of the hill and gazing at the ruins as the sun rose. She laid a hand on his back and stood with him. He glanced at her at the feel.

"I'm just thinking," he replied, glancing back at the ruins.

"You didn't go back to sleep all night."

"I couldn't. I've been up all night wondering."

They had woken up from the dream in the middle of the night. Reno still had not returned. The others had been fast asleep as the siblings woke up. Remembering the events of the dream, the two of them had held each other and cried. Kali was finally able to go back to sleep, but Kadaj was less fortunate.

"Will you be okay?" she asked worriedly. Kadaj sighed.

"Do you think it's true? Is that truly what cards the fates have dealt us? How are we supposed to beat her when we know that I will die? No offense, but I'm far more experienced and stronger than you. And what of the others? We saw none of them at anytime. What about Sachiko? What part does she have to play?"

"Kadaj," Kali muttered soothingly. She hugged him tightly. "I won't let her kill you. Or the others. That includes Sachiko."

"Nor will I let her touch you," he whispered back.

"Let's not tell the others. They shouldn't have to carry this burden," Kali requested.

"Of course," Kadaj agreed as they embraced tighter. He glanced back at his sleeping bag as Sachiko slowly stirred.

"Go ahead to her," Kali smiled, turning to the city.

"I thought you didn't like her," he reminded the girl.

"I was out of line last night. I admit that I'm a little jealous, but I know how much you like her. I felt that way about someone myself once," she muttered, memories of Devin flying through her head.

"Hey. I'll always be here for you. You know that, right?" Kadaj assured her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. She nodded and continued to watch the ruined city. Kadaj squeezed her and kissed the top of her head before walking over to Sachiko.

"Sachiko?" he whispered, a hand going to her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Am I awake?" she whispered. Sachiko grabbed Kadaj's wrist. "Whose hand is this?"

"It's me. Kadaj," he told her. She smiled.

"I heard your voice crack. Were you worried?"

"A little bit. Does your shoulder hurt?"

"It's stiff. Hmm," she moaned as she moved it. "Yes, it still hurts. Just a little bit."

"Then don't move. Are you hungry? Thirsty?" he inquired.

"Both."

"I'll be right back," Kadaj said as he stood. As he walked off, Kali joined Sachiko's side.

"Thank you, Kali," Sachiko whispered when she made her presence known. "I know you took the bullet out. It hurt, but thank you."

"I couldn't let you die."

"I know you don't like me much."

"Who said that?" Kali gasped. Sachiko shook her head.

"Nobody. But I could tell by your voice and manner."

"Sachiko, I don't dislike you. It's just…" Kali trailed off and looked at her brother. "Kadaj is the only family I have. When I met him, I hoped that we would be together, just the two of us. Then he met you and has ignored me a little bit since then. You know, he really likes you. The whole time you were out, he didn't leave your side."

"He's a good man. You're lucky to have a brother like him," Sachiko whispered. She closed her eyes and sighed. "He will make a woman very happy someday."

"You don't like him?" Kali exclaimed in surprise.

"I really don't know yet. I have been careful about the men I get involved with. Since I'm blind, there are many men that would take advantage. I want to be sure before I go to bed with someone, you know?"

"Kadaj isn't like that. I promise you," Kali reassured her. Sachiko smiled softly.

"I hope you're right. Kali, would you leave for a little while? I want to be alone for a few moments and gather my thoughts."

"Okay," Kali agreed. She left and found her friends rising near the ashes of last night's fire.

"Good morning," Rude yawned as he sat up. He cracked his back and moaned. "We need to get a hotel. My back hurts."

"How do you think I feel?" Cid groaned as he, too, rose. Yuffie remained in her place.

"Is Reno back yet?" she asked, her head poking out of the bag ever so slightly. Kali answered that he wasn't. Yuffie moaned quietly and curled back up in her bag. The rest of them turned away and let her cry, for they knew that she had done so nearly all night and was doing it again.

"What next?" Kali inquired as they ate.

"I guess we wait for Reno to get back and Sachiko to get well," Kadaj shrugged. At that moment, Reno came running up the hill.

"Tifa saw me. She's coming. We need to leave immediately," he gasped.

"Not again," Cid shook his head exasperatedly. They quickly put out the flames and packed their camp.

"Sachiko, get up" Kadaj muttered. She opened her eyes and looked towards him.

"I heard. What of me? I cannot hold on very well with my injured arm."

"I know. Kali will ride with Rude, Yuffie will ride with Reno, and you and Cid will ride with me. He'll keep a hold of you," Kadaj assured her as he lifted her gently. The small group sat on the bikes and glanced back at the ruins.

"Do you think we'll ever come back here?" Kali asked nobody in particular.

"Maybe," Rude whispered. He pulled her closer and began to ride away. The others followed slowly, each of them wondering what could possibly happen next.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"This looks like a good place to stop," Kadaj called after riding the entire day. They were in a forest halfway across the continent from Midgar when night slowly began to show her dark face. The group parked the bikes and cautiously set up camp.

"Do you think they'll find us here?" Sachiko whispered as she sat leaning against a tree. Kadaj shrugged as he finished putting up a small tent.

"Who knows? All we can do is pray that they don't and be ready if they do. Ugh," he groaned as he bent a tree limb to set up his hammock next to the tent. "There's a tent here for you. Small, private, and close to me. Yell if you need anything."

"Would you lead me to it? I am blind, after all," Sachiko reminded him. Kadaj smiled and helped her stand. He walked with her into the tent and tucked her in.

"Are you sure you don't want to sit up with us?" he asked as he wrapped the blanket around her body.

"Yes," she nodded, her eyes going slightly out of focus. "I'm rather tired. Besides, I should rest my shoulder."

"Holler if you need anything to eat or drink. You haven't had much today. Tifa and Marlene kind of kept you from breakfast."

"I'll tell you. But I think I mostly need sleep now. Thank you for everything," she whispered. She felt around for his hand, took it and kissed his knuckles. Kadaj was unable to ignore the butterflies flying in his stomach at the touch. He began to lean towards her slowly, but Kali's voice brought him back.

"I need to get out there," he said softly. He laid Sachiko's hand on her chest and walked out.

"Are we going with the original plan? Wait until she heals?" Kali asked her friends as Kadaj sat with them.

"That's the only thing we can do for now," Cid sighed. He moaned and rubbed his chest.

"Are you okay?" Kali asked worriedly. Cid smiled.

"Yeah, just heart burn," he assured her. When they turned away, he winced and rubbed his chest a little harder before the sudden pain that had hit stopped.

"How long until she feels better?" Kali inquired to the group.

"I would guess three days to a week," Rude answered as he finally got a fire started. They fell silent as they pulled food from their bags and ate lightly. Rude stood and walked towards the bikes.

"Where are you going?" Reno asked.

"I need to go to town for something," Rude shrugged. He got on his bike. "I'll be right back."

"One of us should go with you," Yuffie insisted. Rude shook his head.

"I'll be fine," he smiled slightly. He pulled back his jacket to reveal two pistols, one strapped to his leg and another to his waist. Kali frowned.

"Those are Vincent's guns."

"He gave them to me before he died."

"He did," Reno agreed. "I heard him."

"Hurry back," Kadaj called as Rude began to drive away. "I have to admire him."

"You? Admire a Turk?" Reno laughed. Kadaj glared at him.

"I admired Vincent," he said smoothly. Reno fell silent. "Think about it. Rude lost the same people you did to my father. Reno, were his parents in Midgar when Meteor hit?"

"No," Reno shook his head. "His parents died just before he joined the Turks and he didn't have any other living family," he said slowly. He nodded. "I see where you're going."

"He hasn't had anyone for ages. And he's more than willing to give his life for what he believes in. You don't get that very often anymore, be it ex-Turk or not," Kadaj sighed. He looked to the sky. "He has bravery. Then there's the whole Tifa thing. He loves her, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. He's going to die when she does," Yuffie shook her head.

"But he's still helping us get back at her. Kadaj is right. Rude is very brave and strong," Kali added. They fell silent. And ate slowly. Two hours later, Rude was back with a small bag strapped to the bike.

"What's that?" Kali asked, pointing at the bag. Rude pulled out a dozen bottles of beer and several packs of cigarettes. He handed them to Reno before pulling out a small jar, fishing hooks, and nearly invisible fishing wire. He sat and began tying the hooks to the string with about an inch in-between each.

"What's in here?" Cid asked as he lit a cigarette. He picked up the jar and began to open it, but Rude quickly took it from him and tightened the lid again.

"You'll see," he said, working swiftly and nonstop.

They watched him finish attaching the hooks and slowly open the lid over the fire. He carefully put the liquid (for they could see now what it was) on the ground and slowly dipped the string into it. When there was only enough string for him to hold outside of the container, he stood and walked to a cave a short distance off. He slowly and carefully tied the end of the string to a tree right next to the entrance. He walked in a wide circle around the camp and tied the string to various branches about three or four feet off the ground. When he was back at the cave, he tied the end of the string to the tree where he started. Rude closed the bottle, returned to the group, took off his gloves, and threw them into the fire.

"Be careful if you have to piss or go to the river," Rude said as he began eating.

"Are you going to tell us what that shit is or not?" Reno asked impatiently. Rude swallowed.

"Poisoned hooks. A trick I picked up. Anyone ambushing us won't see the string and they'll get cut on the hooks. The poison will kill them in under thirty seconds."

"Nice," Kadaj smiled. After that, they stayed up and talked late into the night. When they were unable to keep their eyes open any longer, each went to bed. Kadaj was barely in his hammock when Sachiko called to him.

"Kadaj," she whispered. He walked in and quickly looked away. She had undressed and was wrapped up under the blankets, but her breasts were slightly more exposed than they had been when her dress was on.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he embarrassedly walked closer. "Oh, and if you need to get out of the camp, let one of us know. Rude set a poison-hook trap for attackers."

"Thanks for the warning. Can I get some water?" she muttered. Kadaj nodded and left. He came back with his water flask to find her trying to sit up.

"Let me," he offered as he sat. He gently put an arm around her shoulders and supported her. She took the flask and drank deeply while Kadaj pulled the blanket around her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she wiped her mouth. "This must be embarrassing, my being nude."

"Not at all. I'm thirty four years old, I've seen a nude woman before," he smiled. He laid the flask next to her. "The water's here if you want more later. I need to get some sleep."

"Thank you."

"Sachiko?" Kadaj whispered. She stared questioningly up at where he was. He slowly moved closer to her, but she realized how close he was and laid a hand on his chest.

"Kadaj, what are you…?" she trailed off when he laid a finger on her lips. The hand moved to her waist and he kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away after only a moment. Sachiko's eyes were closed and her partially open mouth was curled into a smile. "That was nice."

"No. I shouldn't have," Kadaj said quietly. He laid her back down and wrapped her back up. He stood and walked out. "Goodnight, Sachiko."

"Kadaj?" she called. He didn't answer. She rolled over and silently fell asleep while Kadaj prepared to do the same in his hammock. He jumped when he realized someone else was there. Kali was wrapped up tightly, so he kissed her forehead and wrapped up just next to the hammock in her bag instead.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Hmm… Kadaj and Sachiko's first kiss… ((gags)) Sorry fangirls! But you can't say you didn't already see it coming sometime. Oh, and the poisony hooky thingy was not my idea. A friend of mine told me about a Dungeons and Dragons game in which he or his father (don't recall which now) used the same trick whenever camping in enemy or unknown or dangerous territory. Oh, any guesses as to why Cid was in pain? You'll find out probably next chapter or the one after, the latter being more likely. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Yep, Nanashi is probably the coolest character I've ever come up with next to Kali. And no guessing Cid for you, cuz you already know what's coming. When are you putting your story up?

**Mediciner:** By a 'shell,' I mean she'll have a bit of Sephy-chan's attitude and mannerisms and strengths. Sort of a mini female version of him. Except nicer. And kinder. But she'll still have plenty of coldness in her heart and sarcasm. BTW, what's ACT!h'cu mu oyk nahT

**Panny Savage:** Aw, why are you crying! Cuz of the Kali-Kadaj-Sachiko 'love triangle?' (I say it in quotes cuz it's kinda hard and wrong for siblings to be in love) Be prepared for more romantic scenes and stuff since the kiss has happened. Actually… ((is muffled for ten seconds)) Sorry, don't wanna give away anything!

**Merielle:** Yeah, Rude's kinda turning into a little bit of an OC. He's more talkative, kinder than the game portrays him, etc. But I liked the step-from-shadow-and-save-them-thing, too!

**NM:** Oh, and I have no idea if anything Reno says about Rude having no familyis true, so don't flame me for inaccuracy!

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	19. Matters of Heart

****

Chapter 19

Matters of Heart

Kali woke up slowly. She blinked and glanced over at the sound of rustling fabric underneath her. Looking down, she laughed at the sight of Kadaj rolling over in her sleeping bag. She got up and, struggling, picked up her brother and tried to put him in the hammock. She only managed to lift his shoulders when he moaned. He was too heavy and she feared he would wake. As she put him back down, a figure joined her and lifted him in. Cid smiled at her as she wrapped the blanket around Kadaj. He was out like a light.

"Thanks," she whispered. Cid yawned and smiled.

"No problem. I was up anyway."

"Why? It's still dark," Kali asked with a sideways look.

"Nothing. I promise," he insisted as Kali gave him one of those 'I know better' looks. "My heartburn has been acting up and it was so bad it woke me. That's all."

"You're sure?" Kali pressed. She crossed her arms and stared at him concernedly.

"Hell, yeah," Cid grinned. He flinched and rubbed his chest.

"Cid?" Kali muttered as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine. I just need to take some medicine and go to bed," he groaned. "Goodnight, kid."

"I hope you sleep well the rest of the night," Kali said as he returned to his place.

Kali stretched out in her bag and watched the stars. Vincent had been right. The clouds dispersed completely at night, making the sky quite beautiful. She closed her eyes and thought about her home. She could feel her heart breaking at the memories of Devin. He had been so kind to her on Jahan. Why was he trying to kill her? She sighed with a heavy heart before sitting up. She reached into her bag and pulled out her disc player. She put in her Celtic disc and let the music take her to another place. She closed her eyes and fell asleep before track two was over.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Sachiko crawled out of the tent carefully. She stood and held her staff tightly as she began to find a way out of the camp. She jumped at a moan by her feet.

"My goodness! My apologies, I thought I had stepped over everyone," she gasped as she bowed slightly.

"No problem," Yuffie muttered. She sat up and looked groggily at the woman standing over her. "What's wrong?"

"I was wondering where I might bathe. I haven't done so in days and feel rather filthy. Kadaj said that Rude set a trap for intruders and I don't wish to be caught in it," Sachiko explained quietly. Yuffie stood and held Sachiko's hand.

"I'll take you down to the pond. You can bathe there. I'm going to sleep a little longer," Yuffie said as she led Sachiko to the edge of camp and looked to the sky. The sun was already high behind the clouds. "One of us will go down to bring you back in a little while. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Yes. If I hear anything, I'll yell back to you. How far is the pond?"

"Not terribly far. Hold on," Yuffie stopped her. She looked closely for the string. "Crawl on all fours. I'll tell you when to stand."

Sachiko did as she was told before Yuffie followed. Making it through the trap unscathed, the two women walked to the pond. The camp was just beyond the trees by the banks. Yuffie showed Sachiko where to bathe before returning to sleep. As she wrapped back up and Sachiko undressed, Kadaj and Kali were rising.

"Kali?" Kadaj said sleepily. He noticed where he was and looked around for his sister. He sighed with relief when he saw her sitting up in her sleeping bag.

"Good morning," the girl yawned. She stood and wrapped up in the hammock so she was facing Kadaj. Her feet stuck out of the blankets next to his head.

"Get those smelly things out of my face," he snapped jokingly as he pushed her feet away. Kali giggled and drew her feet in. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part. I guess you did, too. You didn't wake up when Cid and I put you up in the hammock."

"So that's how I got up here. I was worried I had gotten up in my sleep and pushed you out. What's that?"

"What?"

"That," he said, pointing at the headphones around her neck. She took them off and held up the player.

"My CD player," she said simply.

"CD player?" Kadaj repeated slowly. "What do you do with it? What's a CD?"

"You don't have CDs here?" Kali gasped. When her brother shook his head, Kali explained how the music was imprinted onto the disc and lasers read the information.

"So you listen to music on them? We have radios for our music and concerts. We do have something similar to this, but they aren't that small. They're larger and black. Records," he said as he held one of her discs and looked it over.

"We used to have those," Kali nodded. "Then our technology increased. Unfortunately, a good part of the advances went towards entertainment and weaponry. Little of the technology went towards saving Earth, our old planet. It was destroyed by nearly every natural disaster I can think of. Our government decided to keep most of the technology hidden away. They didn't want Jahan to punish the human race like Earth did."

"Can I listen?" Kadaj asked hopefully. Kali nodded and pulled a large black case out of her bag. "Are these all yours?" he asked in awe as he opened it and flipped through the discs.

"Yes. My entire collection," she nodded. Kadaj pulled one that was grey out of the case.

"This one," he said. Kali read the title.

"Metallica's Reload album. Nice choice," she said. She opened the player and put her other disc into the case. "Which track?" she asked, showing him the list she kept behind the CD. Kadaj pointed at the one titled 'Unforgiven II' and slid the headphones over his ears.

"What do I do?" he asked. Kali showed him how to play the disc, adjust volume, and change songs. As he pushed play, he listened to the first note and turned the volume up a little to hear better. As the first note of the combined instruments blared, he jumped and threw the headphones aside. Kali could hear the music blasting. She shook her head as Kadaj rubbed his ears.

"Sorry. I should have warned you," she apologized as she turned down the volume and turned the player off.

"How can you listen to that? It nearly blew my ears out!"

"I don't turn it all the way up for one thing. Plus I'm used to it," Kali said simply. Kadaj rolled his eyes and stood. He walked over to Sachiko's tent and peered in. He froze. The next moment, he was standing and looking around frantically.

"Sachiko!" he yelled. Kali ran over to him. "She's not in here. Sachiko!" he called again. Yuffie threw a pebble and hit him in the head.

"I took her to the pond to bathe. She's fine. She's probably waiting for someone to bring her back. Now shut the hell up and let us sleep," she hissed. Kadaj sighed as he rubbed his head.

"Kali, stay here and keep and eye on everyone. I'm going to go get her."

"You're not going to try and seduce her, are you?"

"Huh? Kali, why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Just something she said the other night. Don't do anything sexual to her, okay?"

"What are you talking about? What did she say to you?" he asked her. Kali hesitated. Her brother laid a hand on her shoulder and asked her again.

"Sachiko and I were talking the other night just after she woke up. I told her that you didn't leave her the entire time she was asleep and that you seemed to have an attraction to her," Kali explained. Kadaj began turning slightly red. "Sachiko told me that she was unsure how she feels about you. She says that it's too early for her to tell. She's had to be careful about men."

"Why? Doesn't she trust me?"

"Of course she does. But…" Kali sighed. "She's blind, Kadaj. Do you know how many men would take advantage of a disabled woman?"

"You're right. I'll be back in a few minutes. I promise," he assured her. Kali watched him disappear into the woods. As she turned, Cid was sitting bolt upright and rubbing his chest again.

"Hmm…" he moaned as the pain passed. Kali sat next to him and wrapped an arm around him.

"You okay?"

"My heartburn's getting really bad. I might have to find a doctor to give me better medication," he muttered. Kali sighed and hugged him.

"Maybe Sachiko will know something to help. She's pretty good with medicines."

"I'll ask her when she comes back," he whispered. Cid laid back down and closed his eyes. "Sorry if I sit on my ass all day. I don't feel too well, you know?"

"I think we've all been feeling a little sick lately. If there's anything I can do…" Kali trailed off. Cid shook his head.

"Just keep on living."

"What?"

"Vincent made me promise when you and I met that I'd take care of you. Before he died, he told all of us to make sure you stay alive. I don't know what it is, Vincent didn't know either, but you have something you have to do here before you die. Whatever happens to the rest of us, you and Kadaj keep each other alive and safe."

"Cid, what do you mean? What could happen to you?" Kali inquired gently. Cid only shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure the rest of us have done our jobs. We'll die when we're meant to. Whether it's before or after you and your brother have done yours remains to be seen. But don't be surprised if I'm the first to go."

"Cid?" Kali said shakily.

"I'm the oldest one here. My fifty-first birthday was just a few months ago. I've smoked as long as I can remember and drink way too much. I've kept pretty fit otherwise, but it doesn't change my age or drug habits. Relax," he smiled comfortingly at Kali. "I don't think anything will happen for a long time."

"Are you sure?" Kali asked worriedly. Cid nodded and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to sleep a little while. Wake me up in a few hours."

"Sure," Kali agreed. She stood and gazed around as her other friends slowly woke up.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj walked slowly to the pond. When he arrived at the shores, he looked around. Sachiko was nowhere in sight. He was about to panic when her head popped out of the water. She shook the water from her hair as Kadaj hesitated about drawing attention to himself. Her back was to him. Without thinking about what he told Kali, he pulled off his clothes and waded in behind her. The slight splash made Sachiko turn quickly.

"Hello? Who is there?" she called. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Kadaj waded to her. "Who are you?"

"It's me," Kadaj whispered. Sachiko looked towards where he stood. She suddenly gasped and slipped under the water until only her head showed.

"Kadaj, I'm not wearing anything!" she hissed. Kadaj reached under the water and held her shoulder.

"That didn't bother you last night. I don't care. You know, I think you're very beautiful," he whispered. Sachiko moved back a little bit, but Kadaj held her firmly.

"Kadaj, please, let me go," Sachiko requested. Kadaj slowly released her, but she still stood there.

"Sachiko, I understand your fear. You're blind. I know many men would take advantage of you. I just want you to know that I'm not that kind of person."

"I know you're not. But I can't help the fear," she whispered.

Kadaj pulled her a little closer and Sachiko laid her hand on his chest to push him away. Just as the night before, Kadaj only came closer and pressed his lips to hers. Sachiko slowly kissed him back and her hand slid down his torso. When she reached his waist, she pulled away and swam to the other end of the pond.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Kadaj called. Sachiko glanced over her shoulder.

"You're not wearing anything, either. Please, leave," she whispered. Kadaj froze. She glanced back at him when she didn't hear him leave. "Kadaj, please go. Send your sister or Yuffie to bring me back."

"Okay," Kadaj muttered. He swam out of the pond and dressed before returning to camp. When Kali saw him dripping wet, she walked up to him and slapped him across the face.

"You said you wouldn't do anything," she hissed. Kadaj rubbed his new injury.

"Relax. I just kissed her, that's all. She pushed me away before we could do more. If you want to find out, go ask her yourself. She wants you or Yuffie to fetch her," he muttered. While Kali went for Sachiko, Kadaj sat with the others and began eating.

"Sachiko's down bathing?" Reno asked Yuffie as Kadaj ate slowly. "I guess she's feeling better."

"She still has a lot of healing to do. The wound still hasn't fixed itself very well. We need to stay here two more days at least. Cid?" Kadaj looked up at a groan behind Rude. They all looked up at him.

"I'm fine."

"You're sure?" Yuffie said.

"Positive," Cid snapped. He sat and picked up his share of breakfast. "I just need some food."

"So much for sleeping in," Kali said as she and Sachiko walked up behind Kadaj. They sat and started on their own food.

"Are we leaving anytime soon?" Sachiko asked.

"We stay here until your shoulder has healed significantly. That's that," Kadaj replied. He stood and walked to the cave. "I'm going to check this place out. I don't want anything popping out at us."

"Yuffie, you look pale," Rude pointed out. Indeed, Yuffie's skin was very white and somewhat tight across her bones.

"I haven't been getting the blood I need at night. Like Vincent, I only need it on the full moon. It's passed at least twice since we've been together, and not one of them have I sucked the blood of another. Tonight I need to leave you for a few hours to feed."

"Go now," Kali insisted. "It's safer to be out in the daytime than night."

"I think I will," Yuffie nodded. She sighed and ate slowly.

When they were finished eating, Yuffie walked off into the woods in search of blood. The others stretched out in the grass and began to talk about their childhoods. Only Kali and Sachiko remained quiet, listening intently as their friends reminisced.

"Why did you two want to join the Turks in the first place?" Kali inquired as Reno talked about his experiences with them.

"I just wanted to be somebody. When I was a kid, I loved playing the hero. I wanted to do it for real," Reno shrugged.

"And you?" Kali turned to Rude.

"Vincent and his father," Rude said quietly. "I wanted to be like them, a gunman. I knew I couldn't be as good as them, but I never thought…"

"Thought what?" Sachiko asked.

"I didn't have what it took. I was too loud when I moved, so I couldn't be a sniper. My hand eye coordination isn't that great, so it took me too long to be able to shoot effectively. When I realized I couldn't make it, I joined the martial arts section. That's when Reno and I met."

"I just wanted to go into space," Cid muttered as he stretched. They fell quiet and watched the clouds above them.

"Hey, is it just me, or do the clouds look darker than usual today?" Reno muttered. Everyone agreed.

"Listen," Sachiko muttered. They fell silent again and listened. They heard nothing.

"What are you talking about?" Kali asked as she sat up. Sachiko put a finger to her lips.

"I hear… silence… and my voice," Reno whispered.

"That's right. You cannot hear the Planet. There is a storm approaching," Sachiko explained. She stood and began to walk to the cave. "Kadaj?"

"Where are they?" Kali said aloud as the thunder began to sound. As she spoke, Yuffie walked out of the woods, her hands wiping blood from her mouth.

"There's a storm coming," she said as she helped pack the camp. Kadaj joined them a moment later.

"We can stay in the cave, but keep a close eye out," Kadaj said shakily. Rain began falling.

"Why?" Kali asked as they brought the camp into the carved rock. They rung out their blankets and clothes as Kadaj told them about the cave.

"When I got near the back, I found a small Tonberry nest," he said. Everyone stared at him except Kali.

"And you expect us to sleep in a cave that houses _Tonberrys_?" Yuffie hissed.

"What are those?" Kali asked.

"They're small, green reptiles. They wear what looks like a brown potato sack and carry a lantern and chef knife," Rude explained. "They can knock a man out in one stab and kill him in two."

"Gulp," Kali said. "How hard are they to beat in battle?"

"Damn near impossible," Kadaj rolled his eyes. His friends looked into the darkness of the cave as he spoke. "What?" he said, turning. He froze.

Coming down the corridor was a bright light. As the light came closer, the group saw two yellow eyes followed by half a dozen smaller pairs. The lead Tonberry walked in front of the group, now against the opposite wall, and glanced at them. Without attacking, it slowly led the baby Tonberrys to the entrance, but stopped and turned at a squeak towards the back of the group. A tiny Tonberry was waddling along a few feet behind the rest. Its hands, unlike the others, were empty.

"Why doesn't it have a knife or lantern?" Kali asked Kadaj quietly.

"When a Tonberry lays its eggs, it counts them and goes out in search of lanterns and knives. Sometimes, they can't find enough or they miscount. That might have happened to this one. Now the parent will kill the baby."

"What?" Kali gasped.

"A Tonberry can't live without a knife and lantern. That's what makes them what they are. They have no claws and their teeth aren't terribly sharp, so they must use external weapons. They have an instinct that makes them want to carry things. They're pretty smart," Kadaj sighed. Kali watched as the parent approached the baby slowly. The large Tonberry pulled its hand holding the knife back.

"No! Don't kill it!" she cried. She ran up to the baby, scooped it up, and ran away from the parent. It stared at her as Kali stopped, the small reptile in her arms.

"Kali, put it down!" Kadaj snapped at her. The parent was moving towards her slowly. Kali was against the wall when the Tonberry was upon them. "Kali, you can't do anything! Put it down! Let it go!"

"No!" she yelled back. Kali knelt in front of the Tonberry. "I hear you creatures are very smart."

"What the hell are you doing?" Reno yelled. Kali ignored him.

"If you're so smart, you must be able to understand me. Nod three times if you know what I'm saying," she whispered. The Tonberry slowly raised its head up and lowered it three times. The other humans stared. "Good. Now, I know that a creature like you must have a knife and lantern to defend yourself, and one that doesn't have one is not exactly a good thing. But please, spare this one," she pleaded, lifting the baby slightly. "I will take it from you if you will let me. You need not see this failure ever again, if that is what you see it as. If you will let me, I might find a knife for your little one."

"Stop! It's not going to work!" Yuffie called.

"All I ask is that we may stay in your cave until the rain stops and morning comes. Will you let us without harm or worry? Nod five times if we may."

The group watched nervously. The Tonberry seemed to be thinking it over. It pulled the knife back again and Kali closed her eyes out of fear, but the beast let the weapon rest at its side. The creature nodded five times slowly and turned away. It was about to leave with the rest of its family when Kali called her gratitude after it. As they disappeared into the rain, Kali closed her eyes and smiled. The others breathed heavy sighs of relieve.

"Wow Kali," Kadaj laughed as she stepped up to them, the Tonberry baby still in her arms. "Nice thinking. Give it here. We're out of meat."

"What?" Kali cried. She turned away from him and hugged the creature. "I'm keeping it."

"You're what?" Kadaj snapped. The others shook their heads, the breath they had just sighed returning to their lungs.

"You heard me. Look," she smiled. She held it up in front of her and smiled as she looked into its big yellow eyes. "It's so cute."

"Yeah. Cute like Sephiroth when he killed Aeris. No offense," Reno added as Kadaj and Kali glared at him.

"I can't let you keep that thing," Kadaj shook his head.

"Then I'll be a typical little sister and completely ignore my brother," she said simply as she held the Tonberry like she would a baby. "It's so adorable considering how deadly they are."

"You're crazy," Rude shook his head.

"Thank you," Kali smiled at him. Sachiko approached and laid a hand on its head.

"His skin is smooth and cold," she smiled. The Tonberry nudged her hand with its nose as she giggled. "His nose tickles, too."

"Let me pet him," Yuffie requested. Each of them took turns petting their new acquisition. They were all smiling when they walked away. Kadaj was the last to pet him and only one not smiling.

"Hey little guy," he said gently. He began scratching the Tonberry's chin while Kali changed his position so the creature was facing her. "You're not so bad after all, are you, you little shit?"

The Tonberry apparently understood what Kadaj meant. The Tonberry pulled its head away, stared from Kadaj to the hand, and drew his head back. The next moment…

"OUCH! You fucking little shit, I'll kill you! Get off of me, you little bastard!" Kadaj screamed. The Tonberry sank his teeth deeper into Kadaj's fingertip as the man tore the beast from Kali's grasp and swung his arm in circles. "Fuck you, monster! Let go of my fucking hand!"

"Kadaj, calm down!" Kali yelled to him. "You shouldn't have said anything about him in the first place!"

"Yeah, well," Kadaj began as the Tonberry finally let go and Kadaj knelt next to it, "the truth hurts. AH!" he screeched. The Tonberry had a hold of his finger again. Kali ran over and pulled her pet off as Kadaj muttered curses under his breath.

"So does a Tonberry bite, it seems. You poor thing," she whispered as she held him to her chest.

"What about me?" Kadaj moaned. He glared at the others as they laughed. "Shut up."

"I need to name him," Kali said. She sat while the others rebuilt their fire. When the fire was roaring and they were eating slowly, Kali looked up and smiled. "I have a name."

"What?" Sachiko asked. Kali paused to give the Tonberry the fruit she was about to eat.

"His name is Pradipa," Kali said happily. The Tonberry looked up at her, closed his eyes, and squeaked happily as it nibbled the food. Kali giggled and hugged him.

"God, it has a name now," Kadaj muttered under his breath. He dared not speak loudly, for he could still feel the sting of those teeth. They ate quickly and began speaking about what would happen when they left.

"Where do we go from here?" Kali asked, Pradipa curled up happily in her lap and his eyes half open. "The parent Tonberry only said we could stay tonight."

"I'm not sure exactly. But we have a transportation problem," Reno pointed out. "There are seven of us and only three bikes. We've had trouble keeping us all on them the past few days."

"Maybe we can find a Chocobo or an abandoned bike somewhere," Yuffie suggested.

"No," Cid spoke up shakily. He was standing near the wall and staring into the flames, except his eyes were out of focus. He swallowed with slight difficulty. "You won't need to do that."

"Why?" Yuffie asked as all eyes turned to him. Cid began breathing shakily.

"Because there's about to be one less person here."

"What are you talking about?" Rude asked concernedly. Cid put a hand over his heart and winced painfully.

"I think… I'm having a heart attack," he said shakily. As the words were out of his mouth, Cid dropped to his knees and held his chest.

"Cid!" Yuffie yelled. They all ran to his side as he struggled for breath.

"Hold on, Cid," Reno pleaded. Cid rolled onto his back while his breathing became increasingly ragged and Reno tore his shirt open. Sachiko reached into her bag and pulled out some medicinal supplies while the others fussed over him.

"Somebody start giving him CPR," she ordered. They stared at her. "Now!"

"I'll do it," Kadaj said. He began to apply slight pressure to Cid's exposed chest. He immediately pressed his mouth to Cid's to try to get him to breath before he repeated the procedure.

"He's dying," Kali said shakily as she checked his heart.

"Step back and lift his head," Sachiko ordered. She knelt next to Cid while Rude rested his upper body against his shoulder. Sachiko felt for his mouth and poured a warm liquid into it. As it dripped out of the corners of Cid's mouth, everyone could see crushed herbs among the heated water. His breathing slowly became easier and his heart slowly stopped weakening and went back to normal.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj?" Sachiko whispered. He was sitting on his sleeping bag in a dimly-lit room around the corner from camp and was drinking a beer. He turned slightly to see Sachiko walking up to him slowly. Kadaj reached up and held her hand while she knelt next to him.

"How's Cid?" Kadaj asked her. Sachiko sighed.

"He's dying. He needs a real doctor in a hospital, not just a healer. The formula I gave him will only last through the night."

"Don't you have more herbs?"

"Yes, but not enough. I didn't think anyone would have a heart attack, you all seemed so healthy, and so I spent money on herbs I thought might be more useful. Kadaj?"

"Sachiko?" he said at the same moment she spoke his name. They chuckled slightly before turning to each other. "Ladies first."

"I'm sorry about this morning. I just can't help how frightened I am of men."

"No, Sachiko, I should apologize. Kali told me about what you said about being careful and I ignored it. I'm sorry."

"Kadaj, don't worry. Hey, when you said to Tifa that you knew my mother, do you really?" she asked hopefully. He hesitated. "Please, if you know, tell me."

"No," he lied, "I just said that to give Rude a chance to shoot her," he whispered, his heart aching at the sadness in her face.

"Oh. Okay."

"I wish you could see what I see right now."

"What?" Sachiko asked. Kadaj stroked her face.

"I wish you could see how beautiful you are."

"And I wish I could see you. I hear you are very attractive. You know," she whispered. She looked towards him with her large, pale green eyes. "Watching a person come close to death is a queer thing. When Cid came so close, I remembered how short and cruel life can be. I wanted to tell you something before anything happens to one of us," she whispered. She and Kadaj began to come close together.

"What is it?"

"Kadaj, I love you," she whispered. He smiled as their faces came only a few inches apart.

"I love you, too, Sachiko," he muttered back. They kissed slowly and gently. Kadaj finally wrapped his arms around Sachiko while she laid one of hers on his chest and unzipped his coat.

"Sachiko, I thought you were afraid," he whispered. She kissed him again.

"Not if I'm making love to a man I truly love and he loves me as well," she whispered. Kadaj kissed her again before laying back and pulling her with him. Not too long after, their friends, trying to sleep near the fire, jumped at a yell from the room.

"What was that?" Reno said nervously. Kali looked up at them, trying not to bother the sleeping Tonberry next to her breasts.

"It's just Kadaj and Sachiko fucking each other. Nothing to worry about," she muttered and curled back up, her arm wrapping tightly around Pradipa. The others looked at each other in surprise before going back to their own unconsciousness.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Please don't kill me for the ending and pond… I'm as jealous as ya'll are, and I wrote it! I promise this: The end of this chapter, the beginning of the next, and two more scenes (one like the end of this, one more kissing than sex) are the only love scenes you'll have to read for the rest of the fic. Plus a couple of 'OMG thank god you're okay!' typelove scenes and junk like that. K? And the pond was not inspired by FFX.As for the Tonberry, I realized recently how adorable they really are and figured Kali could use a companion. Umm… oh, Cid might or might not die. Hehehehehe… Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** I read chapter 2. I'll send it back once I edit it, but I like it so far! Oh, and I'll send you a pic of Sachiko if you want (finally got a friend to scan it for me!). Then you can know how the girl you dislike looks. And sorry Nanashi wasn't here. She'll come again soon. I think…

**Mediciner:** How do you think I feel having to translate whole paragraphs? Sorry you don't like love scenes, but thanks for not puking. And I'll do my best to keep the promise up above. I'd say you can skip the other scenes, but they're really important. You haven't seen what Kadaj looks like? Go to google, hit images, and type in "final fantasy 'Kadaj'" or something to that effect. Or you can go to the sites listed in my profile. If you mean me, I can't draw him (I've tried).

**Merielle:** As I said to Med, I'm the one typing it. I liked it too, but I really wasn't planning what they would dream about, so I made it up. It gave away too much, but that's ok. I bet you're a pile of soot now, all that burning with jealousy at the end of this, eh? It's okay about the fangirl moment. But Kadaj is afraid of you now…

**Kadaj:** ((reads review)) … shit. ((cowers in corner sucking thumb)) happy thoughts… my head will not pop off because of a jealous fangirl…

**NM:** If ya'll don't like Sachiko for this chapter (or at all for that matter), I think you'll like the next chapter. Hehehehehe… Oh, and I have one other disclaimer. Metallica is a real music group, Reload is a real album of theirs, and Unforgiven II is a real song on that album. It reminds me a lot of Kadaj and Sephy. There's another one, Unforgiven ('Black' album), that is almost exactly Sephy's life, except made seven years before the game so it's not. If you like rock, I highly suggest listening to both songs.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	20. Shinra

****

Chapter 20

Shinra

Kadaj smiled to himself as he slowly woke up. He was unsure if anyone else was awake, but he was almost positive he was the only one. Sachiko, now lying by his side, hadn't moved for hours. He gently clutched her hand in his as he opened his eyes halfway. She was awake and looking towards him.

"Hey," he whispered. He pulled her hand to him and kissed it. Sachiko smiled softly.

"I've been lying here for a long while waiting for you to awaken."

"Come here," Kadaj muttered, closing his eyes. Sachiko slid closer to his bare chest and kissed his shoulder while he embraced her.

"Kadaj?"

"Yeah?" he whispered, adding a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm terribly sorry," she said quietly. Kadaj smiled and held her tighter.

"No. Last night was great."

"That it was, but it's not that," she replied. "Kadaj…"

She never finished the sentence. As Kadaj gently began kissing her neck, they both turned their heads up at the sound of a rifle's safety being cut off. Nearly two-dozen more clicks followed. Kadaj opened his eyes to see a gun barrel looking him in the face. He wrapped his arms around Sachiko.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

"Long time no see, cousin," Alim called. He walked through the guards that had surrounded the lovers. Kadaj held her closer.

"I won't let them take you back," he told her, one hand reaching for his sword. He only found air.

"What a beautiful blade this is," Alim smiled as he unsheathed it. "Almost as beautiful as Masamune."

"What the fuck do you want?" Kadaj growled. He continued to hold Sachiko, afraid to let her go.

"We want our experiment back," Alim replied coolly.

"Where's my sister? Where are the ex-Turks?" Kadaj demanded.

"They're safe in a truck, waiting for you. Young Kali put up quite a fight. Almost had to shoot her to get her to comply," Alim said. Kadaj glared at him. "But all I had to do was threaten to let Cid die and kill that little Tonberry. She came quietly enough after that."

"What did you do with Cid?" Kadaj yelled suddenly. "He had a heart attack last night, his heart can't take this!"

"He's on his way to our headquarters. Doctor Skylar will fix him up in a short time. Now," he said, his expression turning serious. He pointed the sword at Sachiko. "Give us The Hitomi."

"No," he said sternly. To his surprise, Sachiko pushed away from him.

"Why should I go?" she whispered.

"If you don't, I'll kill you all now instead of later. I might even let them live if you come with us, Sachiko," he coaxed. She looked up at Kadaj apologetically and nodded.

"I'll go," she whispered. Kadaj grabbed her arm as she began to stand.

"Sachiko, no," he pleaded.

"Kadaj, he'll kill all of you if I don't," she muttered, a few tears sliding down her face. "At least if I go, you might live a short time longer than if I don't."

"That's a good little girl," Alim said as he watched her nude body straighten.

"Where are my clothes?" she inquired. Alim reached down and picked up her dress, sash, and stockings for her. Kadaj gazed as she covered her body. Sachiko put on her boots and turned back to him. She knelt next to Kadaj as she grasped her staff.

"I'm sorry my love," she whispered.

"You do what you must, love," he muttered back. She brushed his bangs out of his face and kissed him softly. They kissed for only a moment when Alim pulled her away. When she was a few feet from Kadaj, the scientist backhanded her and Sachiko fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Sachiko! You son of a bitch!" Kadaj yelled. He was leaping out of the sleeping bag, his nudity forgotten, and attempting to reach his lover as a guard carried her away. Two other guards came up behind Kadaj and grabbed his arms as his hands came within inches of Alim's throat. No matter how much he struggled, Kadaj was stuck. "Let me go, you fucking bastards!"

"You seem to be the fucking bastard here," Alim smiled. He looked Kadaj up and down. "You're nothing like Sephiroth. He was far stronger than you seem to be."

"Tell your goons to let me go and you'll see how strong I am," Kadaj hissed. Alim looked to the ground. A moment later, he slammed his fist into Kadaj's stomach. The wind knocked out of his lungs, Kadaj moaned and the guards let him fall to his knees.

"Your father could have withstood that. Wonderful strength you have, Kadaj," Alim growled sarcastically. He knelt in front of him and grabbed Kadaj's chin roughly. Kadaj gave a slight moan of pain as Alim looked him in the eyes. "You will make a wonderful specimen. Perhaps if you and Sachiko behave as you're told, I will let you two have sex again. Then perhaps she will produce a child with the strength of both her mother and Sephiroth. That was the fault of Hojo. He tried to mate her mother with the creature Red XIII to produce a child that would live for years. He should have been trying to get your father to impregnate her so that she would have a strong child."

"Father would never have slept with her mother," Kadaj replied. The two of them stood and stared at each other.

"The convoy is ready to leave," a guard called.

"Send The Hitomi ahead. We'll be along momentarily."

"Yes sir!"

"You may have lost your virginity while I have not, but you will never be the man I am," Alim said quietly. He turned, picked up Kadaj's pants, and threw them at him. "Put them on. I don't think your sister is ready to see such a degrading sight."

Five minutes later, Kadaj was being led to a large truck. The guards tossed him in the back where he found Reno, Rude, Yuffie, and Kali. His sister was in tears as she tried to pet Pradipa through the bars of a small cage. As the truck began moving, Kadaj gently wrapped his arms around her and whispered to her that they would find a way out, that they would somehow escape the clutches of Valda Shinra.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Cid moaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He closed them again when he saw how bright the room was. He tried to raise his hand to his face, but only yelled when he felt something pull in his arm. He finally opened his eyes and saw an IV inserted into his right forearm. When he pulled the other, a cart rattled. The machine perched on top emitted a couple of loud beeps before going back to the quieter ones. Cid furrowed his brow. He couldn't remember coming here. All he remembered was a pain in his chest and falling, his friends running to help. He thought that he had felt someone pour a liquid down his throat, but couldn't be sure. He looked up as a voice spoke to him.

"Confused?" the woman asked. Cid stared at her. "You almost didn't make it through that heart attack."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name is Doctor Skylar. You are in the hospital wing of the Hitomi headquarters," she explained. Cid started to panic.

"The Hitomi? Where are the others?" he snapped.

"Calm down or you'll have another heart attack. You know, you really should watch what you drink and smoke," she said as she recorded the machine's readings.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Your friends are elsewhere in the building and The Hitomi is over there," she said simply. Cid looked over and saw Sachiko lying in a bed across the room. His gaze slowly turned to the foot of the bed and he fell silent as two guards came and carried the woman away.

"Why keep me alive? You want us dead, don't you?"

"Yes. But not before we have a chance to test all of you," she smiled slyly. "Speaking of which…"

Skylar walked away. When she came back, she held a syringe containing green liquid. Behind her were several more syringes on a tray. Cid's eyes widen as he realized what it was. She called in some guards as Cid began to fight. When she stuck the needle into his neck, his scream could be heard throughout nearly the entire building.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Let us go! Ouch!" Yuffie cried as the guards shoved her into a cell. As they left, she gazed at her friends. The guards had put all of them in different blocks. The cell directly across from her was empty, but to the left of that cell was Reno. Rude was next to her. Across from him, Kadaj sat next to the wall while Kali was next to his. Yuffie came to the wall separating her and Rude. "Rude?" she called softly. She listened as his footsteps came to the wall.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you think they left that cell free?"

"Maybe for Cid when he gets better. Or maybe they have another prisoner they're torturing right now."

"When I was hunting yesterday," she began quietly, "did Reno say anything?"

"About what?"

"The other night. You know, when we got pissed off at each other," she said. Rude was silent for a moment.

"No, he didn't."

"Thanks anyway," she said softly. She leaned against the wall and sat. On the other side, she listened to Rude do the same. "Do you think we'll get out?"

"The truth?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. I remember how hard it was for prisoners to escape almost twenty years ago. If Valda is like Rufus and the other presidents and has a decent guard, I doubt we'll get free."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she muttered. Rude laughed quietly.

"You said the truth."

"I was hoping you wouldn't listen," she chuckled back. "How's Kali? I can't see her very well from here."

"She's crying. Kadaj is talking to her, but I don't think it's helping much."

"I hope a miracle happens. For her sake."

"For all of our sakes," Rude added solemnly. The entire cellblock fell silent except for Kali's low sobs.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"What do you want us to do with this little monster?" a guard asked, holding up the caged Tonberry. Alim stared at it.

"Just put it on the table. Perhaps he'll make a good specimen. We can see what Tonberries do when they have no weapons," he said as he turned. He listened as the cage was placed on the table. Skylar walked in as the guards left.

"Cid has been injected. You were right. The Mako in him had almost worn off," she smiled. Alim nodded.

"Good. What of the Hitomi?"

"I ran all of the tests you asked," she assured him.

"Do you remember to run the-"

"Yes, Alim, how many times must you tell me to run it?" she moaned.

"We must be sure. We have no idea what may happen when we go to the temple and city. I wouldn't want any experiments injured."

"Understandable," Skylar agreed. She turned to the Tonberry. "What's this?"

"A pet of the girl's and a new test subject for us," Alim explained. He opened the cage and reached in for Pradipa. When his hand reached the back, he screamed and pulled his hand out quickly. "That fucking monster bit me!"

"Alim, stand still," Skylar ordered. They watched as the creature walked out and dropped to the floor. He then did something no human had ever seen a Tonberry do. He got on all fours and ran into the hall.

"There is a young Tonberry on the loose! He has no knife! Repeat, he is unarmed! Capture him alive at all costs!" Alim yelled into a radio. A few minutes later, the captain of the guards came on.

"Doctor Alim!"

"What? Do you have him yet?"

"The guards are afraid to go near him!"

"Why? He has no knife!" Alim snapped. The guard hesitated.

"But sir… they're running from him."

"Why?" he yelled again.

"He was in the break room and… he… stole a shotgun resting against the wall…"

Looking back on the event, Skylar could have sworn that the entire building shook when Alim slammed his forehead against the wall.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Let us out!" Kali yelled as two guards in suits and a blonde woman came in.

"No," Valda smiled. "You have been very troublesome, little girl."

"Bao?" Rude said as he caught sight of the male guard. Bao looked around and glared at him.

"Bao? What is it?" Valda asked. The guard shook his head and turned away. Rude stared as they continued talking. "You are the one that slept with The Hitomi, right?"

"What does it matter to you?" Kadaj growled. Valda stared at him.

"The son of Sephiroth and the daughter of Aeris? What an unusual pair," she smiled. Yuffie stood quickly.

"Aeris' daughter?" she yelled through the bars. "She was too young to have a kid Sachiko's age! Sephiroth killed her before she had one!"

"But like my parents, she and the father of her child had sex before they were adults. I stand corrected. My father was an adult, but my mother was not. Either way, she is the daughter of Aeris and a Turk."

"Which one?" Kali asked, her gaze going from Rude down the hall to Reno.

"Neither of these," Valda said with a wave of her hand. "Your father ended this one's life shortly before the life of Aeris was put to an untimely end."

"Tseng," Rude muttered sadly. Valda turned and smiled.

"Who else? They knew each other from childhood and knew each other better than anyone else knew them. When the Turks and my family first began searching for her about three or four years before the Meteor Crisis, Tseng decided to help her escape one time. He stayed with her one night. That single evening was enough."

"Just shut up!" Kadaj snapped. They all turned to him. "I don't want to listen to more. Just tell us what you want and leave us!"

"You and your sister will become test subjects. The rest of you will be killed, one by one, slowly and painfully. Now I will leave you," she said, the smile fading as she turned towards the door. Bao and Zan followed her out of the room.

"I'm sorry everyone," Kali whispered when they were gone. She sank to her knees and stared around the block. "This is all my fault. I should have let Nanashi out. She could have gotten rid of those guards."

"Who's Nanashi?" Yuffie asked. Kali shook her head.

"Never mind. What does it matter now? We're already doomed," Kali laid her head in her hands and wept. She looked up to hear a squeaky voice talking to her.

"Awi! Awi!" the voice called. Kali opened her eyes to see Pradipa squeezing through the bars. He had a shotgun in one paw. "Awi!" he cried.

"Pradipa, my baby," Kali smiled. She held him up, her hands under his arms. "You know my name, or at least the vowels. But you could have brought a loaded gun," she added as she checked the bullets. It was as empty as her soul felt. In despair, Kali closed her eyes, leaned against the wall, and cried heavily. She held Pradipa close to her chest and sobbed.

"Kali," Kadaj whispered. He reached his hand through the bars and tried to reach her cell. She, too, reached out a hand and held it tightly. Kali stopped crying as she listened to Kadaj start to sing quietly.

Lay down

Your sweet and weary head.

Night is falling.

You have come to journey's end.

Sleep now,

Dream of the ones who came before.

They are calling

From across the distant shore.

The others listened silently as he continued the song, the words reverberating in their chests. Kadaj raised his hand and tried his best to stroke her face.

Why do you weep?

What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see

All of your fears will pass away.

Safe in my arms,

You're only sleeping.

Kali slowly stopped crying as he sang their father's lullaby.

What can you see

On the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea

A pale moon rises.

The ships have come to carry you home.

Pradipa nudged Kali's face gently with his nose. Kali smiled as he licked the tears from her chin.

And all will turn

To silver glass.

A light on the water

All souls pass.

Pradipa slowly got up and walked from cell to cell, nudging the prisoner's hands and rubbing their faces lovingly.

Hope fades

Into the world of night,

Through shadows falling

Out of memory and time.

Don't say 'We have come now to the end.'

White shores are calling.

You and I will meet again.

Pradipa squeaked outside Reno's cell, but he remained curled up on his cot, tears sliding down his face as he listened.

And you'll be here in my arms,

Just sleeping.

The small Tonberry made his way back to Kadaj and, resisting the urge to bite him, nudged his hand comfortingly.

What can you see

On the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea

A pale moon rises.

The ships have come to carry you home.

And all will turn

To silver glass.

A light on the water

Grey ships pass

Into the west.

"I'll keep you safe, Kali," Kadaj whispered when the song was finished. Tears were dripping down his cheeks. "I swear on both father's and Vincent's graves."

"Kadaj, that song was beautiful. I love you," she whispered as she hugged Pradipa again.

"You should hear father sing it. His voice was beautiful," he said as he started crying. They all cried silently as they waited for something to help or hurt them. Rude was the only one to remain calm, but even so, his thoughts turned to Bao.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Mom," Valda whispered. She took the ill woman's hand and stared at her face.

"Hello, my daughter," Scarlet whispered back. She moaned quietly as she struggled for breath.

"How do you feel?"

"You know very well how I feel. After all, what's a mother for?"

"Why did you do it? I didn't need to live," Valda insisted. Scarlet took her child's hand in both of hers.

"Yes you did. You are the only Shinra left on the Planet. Besides, a mother is supposed to heal her children. That includes transfusing my healthy blood into the body of my deathly ill offspring and taking that illness-causing blood upon myself."

"It's not fair," Valda shook her head as tears formed. "The illness would not have killed me so slowly. At least if I had kept it, I would have died quickly and painlessly. Your death has been so drawn out."

"But a slow death allows you more time with your loved ones," Scarlet reminded her.

"All I can think of is how slowly father died. Sephiroth left him in the street to pass on. I'm glad Reno and Rude found him so we could say good-bye, but I wish they had left him to perish. They only prolonged his suffering."

"While we're on the topic, have you captured them?"

"This morning, yes."

"Good. But try not to go too terribly hard on Reno and Rude. They did everything they were told while your father lived, after all."

"Yes mother," Valda nodded. Scarlet closed her eyes and her breathing became shallower. Valda listened as the heart monitor beeped slower every few seconds. "You're going to die soon."

"I know. Valda, I love you. Don't think that you're losing me. Try to think of it as our family coming together again. Rufus is with his parents, and I'm about to be with him. When your time comes, you will join us," Scarlet whispered. Valda closed her eyes as her mother's chest stopped moving and the monitor emitted one last, long beep.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali was curled up on her cot in the corner, Pradipa fast asleep in her arms, when two guards walked into her cell. She turned quickly at the touch of a hand on her shoulder. Pradipa woke up slowly and crawled under the bed. The guard looked down at her angrily.

"You're first," he said forcefully. Before she could object, Kali found herself being dragged out of her cage. Kadaj gripped the bars tightly as he watched his sister disappear.

"Please, take me first! Don't hurt her, I beg you!" he cried. The guards ignored him. As the entrance to the dungeons closed, Kadaj slammed his fists against the wall dividing him from Kali's before he sat down on his own bed ferociously and wept hopelessly. Two cells down, Reno was listening and having a one-sided conversation with himself.

"Don't know why he's so upset. We're all dead anyway," he muttered to himself. As he spoke, he could almost picture a ghost of him sitting across the cell.

'_What? How can you say that? Are you giving up already?'_ the 'ghost' Reno muttered. Reno shook his head.

"It's hopeless. They have rifles, machine guns, and Gatling guns. Even if Kali used Masamune, we wouldn't stand a chance."

_'You're always so fucking negative! What about Rufus? Did you ever give up on him?'_ his ghost image demanded. Reno thought for a moment.

"Yes. Once," he muttered under his breath.

_'Oh, right. All because you loved Elena. Come now, Reno. The way she treated you after Tseng died? Was she really worth even attempting to save?'_ the ghost inquired.

"Of course she was. The only woman I've ever met that came close to her is Yuffie. She hates me now," he added.

'But Elena treated you like shit when Tseng was killed. Was she really worth the life of your boss?'

"It was my own fault she acted that way. I pushed her too much too soon. I was angry about Tseng, too, but I still pushed her to fuck around with me. I didn't even think how she might have taken his death."

'But you still lost her in the end. Was it really worth losing both of them?'

"Stop thinking about it," he muttered bitterly.

_'Come now. You didn't really think Kadaj would just let her go if you told him where Rufus was, did you?'_ the figment pushed. Reno sat back for a moment and thought.

"Kadaj?" he muttered. His figment shook his head.

'You mean you forgot? He was the one to torture you three.'

"Just go away."

_'You know how to erase the pain. When Kali comes back, tell the guards you'll go and let them…'_ the spirit trailed off before Reno shook his head clear. He nodded slowly and regrettably.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"So you're Sephiroth's daughter? There are no records of your birth," Alim said. Kali was strapped to a table in the lab. Her coat was flung over a chair. Her eyes stared at the ceiling.

"I wasn't born here. I'm from another world. So was my mother. Daddy came back fifteen years ago and fled to my planet. You can ask Yuffie. Her clone went with Cloud to chase him down."

"I know of their trip," he said slowly. "Cloud came to us to warn us of Sephiroth's return and what they were doing. They agreed to help us rebuild Shinra as long as we helped them get rid of all memory of the Jenova Project and didn't try to use Mako again. He found a way to enforce it, as well," he added. His back was turned to her the entire time. When Alim turned around, he held a syringe filled with a green liquid. Behind it, there was a large jar filled with the substance. Kali stared at it curiously.

"What's that?" she asked. Alim smiled.

"It's called Mako. It's the lifeblood of the Planet. Its use stopped with the destruction of the Midgar Reactors, but Uncle Hojo had a few thousand extra jars tucked away."

"What are you going to do with it?" she said shakily as he came towards her with one of the needles. She trembled as he grabbed her wrist and found a vein. He smiled at her as he laid the tip against her skin.

"Exactly what was done to every Shinra worker, whether SOLDIER, Turk, or experiment, almost twenty years ago and long before that. Try not to scream too loud," Alim ordered. Kali screeched as the green liquid began flowing among her blood cells.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

An hour later, Kadaj was running to the bars of the prison as a guard brought Kali in. Alim followed close behind. They were about to guide her into her cell when Kadaj grabbed his cousin's sleeve.

"Please, don't put her alone anymore. Let her stay here with me. She'll die if she doesn't. Please," Kadaj begged. Alim looked at him silently before nodding slowly.

"Put her with Kadaj," he ordered. They threw Kali in and she fell into Kadaj's arms.

"Kali?" he whispered as the door closed. Alim watched as her eyes opened slightly and Kadaj froze as he saw the glow in her eyes. "You put Mako in her. You son of a bitch! You could have killed her!"

"The worst she will be is slightly ill. She will not have the violent reactions you did. Now, who shall I test next? Or rather, whose life shall come to an end today?" he wondered aloud. He stared at Yuffie and Rude before Reno called attention to himself.

"I'll go."

"Reno," Yuffie whispered. He said it again. The guards came and led him out. As they walked past Yuffie's cell, she grabbed his arm and stared at him pleadingly. He stared at her with a steely gaze.

"Let go, Yuffie."

"No, Reno. Please, no," she pleaded. Reno continued to stare at her.

"We all die eventually. Why not sooner than later?" he whispered. He pulled her hand off and walked away. He glanced at Rude and nodded.

"Goodbye Reno. We had some good times," Rude muttered.

"We won't be apart for long," Reno shook his head. He said nothing to Kadaj and Kali. The guards and Alim took Reno to the labs. Kadaj only laid with his sister on the cot and held her. He and Yuffie cried somewhat loudly while Rude struggled not to and Kali rested, oblivious to what had just happened.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** I hope you're all happy that Sachiko is away from Kadaj now. But oddly enough, I, too, was feeling a little jealous… Oh, and the song that Kadaj sings is called 'Into the West' from the third Lord of the Rings Movie (Return of the King). I just thought it fit the situation. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** She'll definitely be back. I just don't know how soon.

**Mediciner:** Sorry I made you puke. I promise: one last scene to that extent, and it's going to come fairly soon. After that, only a few smooches. I promise! If I go farther, may I be smitten by Meteor! Uh oh… Sephiroth's getting a crazy look on his face… GAH! Oh, have you looked at Kadaj? So hot!

**Kizna1200:** Ha! I didn't kill him off! Ha! Okay, I'm good. But he has been re-injected with Mako, so I guess that's bad enough. Glad you aren't going to kill me. I'm surprised you didn't when Vinny and Yuffie messed around in Nibelheim WAAAAAY back at the beginning.

**NM:** Oh, and if anybody is confused about the part where Reno talks to himself, He's talking to a figment, kinda like how Cloud talked to figments of himself in the game. If that makes sense.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	21. Miracles

****

Chapter 21

Miracle

Reno sat calmly on the table. When the guards tried to strap him down, he raised a hand and shook his head. Alim watched curiously.

"I won't fight it. You have my word as an ex-Turk," Reno said quietly. The guards looked questioningly at Alim.

"Leave us," he ordered. He turned to Reno as they obeyed. "Why are you so willing to let your life end while your friends fight viciously?"

"The way I see it, there's no point in fighting in a hopeless situation. I have no weapons, but you do. There are only six of us, one of us being in the hospital, and at least one hundred, although I suspect many more, guards in this place. It doesn't look like we can get out unless we die, does it?" Reno whispered. Alim stared into his eyes and saw his anger and sadness.

"What's eating you? No normal man has that look in his eyes."

"None of it matters anymore. I'm going to die shortly, so why should I explain?" Reno muttered, looking at the floor. The scientist sighed and walked away. When he came back, he had a small knife in his hands.

"You're sure you would rather die than live as an experiment?"

"Huh? Weren't you going to kill us anyway?"

"Those were my orders, but I was willing to give you all a choice. Now I know what you have chosen. Unfortunately, I must kill you slowly and cause as much pain as I can. It's too late to request otherwise."

Alim came closer to Reno. When the knife was a few inches from Reno's arm, he instinctively pulled back his fist and punched Alim in the face. The doctor fell backwards, unconscious and nose bleeding heavily, as Reno locked the door and looked around. He looked to the floor to see that the knife had fallen down a small trash disposal upon Alim's fall. Reno searched for something sharp. If a doctor couldn't end his life, he would do it himself. His gaze fell on a syringe lying on the counter. There was still a green liquid filling half of it.

"What does it matter what gets in my blood? I'm going to die before it affects me anyway," he sighed as he picked up the syringe. He tossed his jacket to the side and rolled up his shirtsleeve. He took a deep breath and began digging at the skin on his wrist with the tip of the needle, not knowing how wrong his last statement was.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali sat up slowly to find her head in Kadaj's lap. He was asleep. Next to her stomach, Pradipa was snuggled up with his head against her breasts. He awoke and squeaked at her when she moved.

"Wiw we eh fwee?" he said. Kali smiled.

"We'll get free somehow. I promise," she whispered. "I need to teach you to talk properly. Repeat after me. K-A-l-i," she said her name slowly while pointing at herself.

"Kawi!" Pradipa squealed happily. Kali laughed.

"Close enough," she said. Kali was about to teach him more when she grabbed her head. A sharp pain coursed through it, causing her to see stars. When the feeling passed, she was running for the toilet in the corner of the cell. Kadaj opened his eyes to the sound of her retching.

"Kali?" he gasped. He knelt next to her and rubbed her back while she threw up violently. "Are you okay?"

"No," she managed to choke out between heaves. She finally stopped and leaned against him, her entire body drained. She cried as Rude and Yuffie yelled to them.

"Are you okay, Kali?" Rude called.

"They injected her with Mako. She's getting sick!" Kadaj yelled back. Kali moaned.

"Please don't yell. My head hurts."

"Sorry," Kadaj whispered. "Go back to sleep," he insisted. He sang quietly to her again, but she still cried and leaned against him. They both closed their eyes.

Half an hour later, not even remembering falling asleep, Kadaj and Kali stood shakily and stared at the door. The bars had been torn from the wall. Kali gasped at the person that had freed them.

"Come on, Kal! We need to get out of here now!"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Reno leaned against the counter and watched his blood drip down his hand onto the floor. He had only cut one wrist and it wasn't very large or deep, but he could still feel his strength slowly ebbing away. The syringe was empty; it had slipped as he dug and injected the entire fluid into his body. Before he could react, Alim was standing and grabbing Reno from behind. He didn't fight back. When he let Alim grab him, the two men fell to the floor, the scientist having been taken by surprise because of the lack of resistance. As he dropped, Alim swung his arm out to stop falling and ended up toppling a jar filled with Mako. It smashed as it hit the floor next to Reno's head. The Mako splashed into his mouth and dripped down his throat. More of it flowed into his sliced wrist and Mako-covered glass dug into the rest of his body.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Rude and Yuffie were standing behind him. Kadaj hesitated, but Kali ran to his side. Instead of hugging him like he expected, Kali swiftly drew her hand back and slapped him across the face.

"What was that for?" he gasped after a moment's shock.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Devin?" she yelled. "You left me to die and now you're acting like you want to help?"

"What are you talking about?" Devin snapped. "I would never do anything to hurt you. It must have been a bad dream."

"Yeah right."

"Kal," Devin whispered. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Would I ever do anything to hurt you? Look me in the eye and tell me."

Kali stared at him. He looked almost the exact same as back home. He still had his long, brown hair in a ponytail, he still had a short beard and moustache, and he still wore a white shirt and baggy black slacks. The only difference was the leather strap wrapped around his waist and over his chest and back. There were a dozen daggers strapped to it.

"Where did you get those?" Kali asked shakily. The dream still hurt.

"I got attacked my first day here. A very nice woman found me almost dead and gave me money for a weapon. Now, would I ever do anything to hurt you?" he asked again. Kali stared into his eyes.

"But you did leave me."

"Kali, it must have been a dream. I've been having very vivid ones of you lately. Are you sure you're not doing the same?"

"Well…" she began slowly. "I _have_ been having a lot of weird and vivid dreams…"

"Well?"

"Devin," she whispered as she looked into his eyes. Her mouth trembled as she threw herself against him and hugged him. "I'm so sorry I doubted you," she sobbed. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, Kal. Come on," he said softly as he released her. "We need to go."

"Hold on! Stay away from my sister!" Kadaj yelled. He ran to Devin and wrapped his hands around his neck.

"Let him go, Kadaj!" Kali yelled. Kadaj only shoved Devin into the wall. "Kadaj, let go!" she screamed again. Kali pulled him off and wrapped her arms around Devin.

"I'm fine. I didn't know you had a brother," he gasped.

"Half-brother, yeah. I didn't know until I got here," she whispered. Kadaj glared at them.

"Kali, get away from him!"

"What the hell is your problem?" Kali snapped. Kadaj unzipped his coat and pulled it open.

"Do you see that scar on my side?" he snarled. He pointed at Devin. "_You_ gave it to me on the ship," he said angrily. Devin glanced from the scar to his face.

"I've never seen an injury like that, nor have I ever seen you," he said quietly. Kadaj glared.

"You lying bastard."

"Kadaj, he's my best friend. Please, don't hurt him. You must be mistaking him for someone else," she said. "He's right, we need to go. The guards must have seen him come in. They'll suspect something."

"They started chasing me, yeah," Devin agreed. The small group followed him out of the block.

"We need to find Cid and Reno," Yuffie whispered. Kali looked to Devin.

"I know where the labs are, but do you know where the hospital is?"

"They should be in the same vicinity," Rude said. "At least, they were when I was a Turk."

"Let's go," Kali whispered. She led her friends down the hall towards the stairs. Devin grabbed her and pulled her into a small, empty room while the others followed them. Five guards ran past. When they were out of sight, the group sprinted towards the stairs. "We need to go down three floors to the labs."

"I think we should take the elevator. Less chance of them setting up a block," Kadaj pointed. Nodding in agreement, they ducked into the box as more guards came down the hall. Kadaj directed it to the correct floor.

"We need our weapons, too," Yuffie reminded them.

"I saw some guards carry them to a set of stairs. They were heading for the top floor. We'll go after we get your friends. Until we get there, all of you take a dagger or two," Devin said. He pulled them out and tossed them to Rude, Yuffie, and Kali. When he handed one to Kadaj, he shook his head.

"I won't need it," he said coldly. As the elevator stopped, Kali picked up Pradipa, closed her coat, and put him in it.

"I don't want him falling behind," Kali shrugged as her friends stared.

They made it halfway across the floor before a guard spotted them. Devin took him down in two slashes. They barged into the lab to find Reno moaning as he picked up his jacket and put it on.

"Reno," Yuffie gasped. He turned around and she gasped even louder. His face was covered with cuts and tiny bits of glass were in his hair. He wiped something green from his mouth as she ran up. When he put his arms around her, Yuffie felt something wet on her shoulder. She pulled Reno's arm off and saw that his cuff was darker than the rest of the jacket. She shook when she saw the cut on his wrist. "Reno, why did you…?"

"Hopeless situation. Let's go," he whispered. As he walked, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees. Rude knelt next to him and supported him as he stood again.

"We need to leave and fix him up," he said quietly. As he spoke, Alim came in. He had left to bandage his broken nose, and was now picking up a radio to call the guards. Before he went further, Kadaj grabbed his wrist and knocked the radio to the floor. It shattered as Kadaj pulled Alim's sleeves back and tied them behind him, thus locking him in a straightjacket of sorts.

"What do you want?" he hissed as Kadaj pulled him with them.

"You're going to get us Cid, our weapons, and out of here," Kadaj growled. Alim was pushed down the hall ahead of them. As they walked, they heard a voice over the intercom.

"Attention all personnel! The prisoners have just been released! We have reason to believe that they are on the Forty-fifth floor! Capture them at all costs! Use of excessive force has been authorized! Repeat: shoot at will! Do not let them escape!"

"Shit," Kali snapped. They ran faster down the hall and ducked into what they thought was an empty room. They locked the door and turned at a yell. Cid was throwing a punch and kick at a guard. He fell to the floor while Cid winced at the slight pain in his chest.

"I'm fine," he called at the worried expressions that were thrown at him. "Just a little too much too soon."

The others saw why as they looked behind him. Strewn across the floor were nearly a dozen guards. They were all unconscious and had what appeared to be broken noses or jaws. As they stared, Cid picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. He yanked his boots over his pant legs while Kali winced at the sight of a tourniquet around his bleeding arm.

"What happened?" she asked, pointing at the wound.

"IV drip. Son of a bitch didn't want to come out. Had to force it," he said simply. Kali stared at his eyes as he smiled at her.

"Cid… what's with your eyes?" she asked shakily. He gave her a questioning look. "They're glowing."

"They are?" he said, looking into a small mirror next to his bed. "Hmm. So they are. It's the Mako they injected me with. Funny you asked that. I was about to ask the same of you."

"My eyes are glowing?" she whispered. Indeed, when she looked into the mirror, there was an odd glow inside them. She held her hand to her mouth. "What has happened? Is this what made me sick?"

"Mako makes the receiver sick. It also makes you go crazy, bloodthirsty, and incredibly strong. The only way to undo the effects is to have it in your system for so long that it wears off," Kadaj explained. Kali buried her face in her hands and wept quietly. Devin hugged her.

"Kali, it's okay. We need to get out of here. Then you can cry all you want," he whispered. Kali nodded and looked around. There were guards banging at the door. At the far end of the room was another small door. They ran to it.

"A service elevator," Kadaj whispered. There was just enough room for them all to fit in the box. Rude punched in the floor and they began to move in silence. When they were between the forty-eighth and forty-ninth floors, the elevator stopped moving.

"Why did we stop?" Kali asked. Her answer came from the intercom.

"Attention all personnel! The fugitives are in the service elevator! They have Doctor Alim as a hostage! Do not harm the doctor! We are lowering them to the Forty-eighth floor! All guards report to the service elevator on the Forty-eighth floor!"

"Fuck it," Cid snapped. He reached up and opened the hatch at the top. As they began moving down slowly, he pulled himself up and helped the others out. They climbed up the cable and came out on the next floor as the guards looked up the hatch to see where they had gone. By the time they got up, the prisoners were reaching the top floor.

"Where are the weapons?" Yuffie asked. No sooner was the question out of her mouth than nearly two-dozen guards were running at them. They managed to duck into a room as bullets flew through the air. A voice made them turn as they barred the door.

"How convenient," Valda smiled as she stood by her desk. They glared at her and held the daggers ready. Bao and Zan took out their own knives and took their places in front of Valda. "Please, make yourselves comfortable," she mocked as she turned from the window.

"Where's Sachiko?" Kadaj yelled, suddenly remembering the one person they had forgotten. "Tell me or I'll throw you out that window!"

"I think not. Zan, come with me. Bao, take them out," she commanded. Valda and Zan walked out through the door across the room.

"Bao, don't do it," Rude whispered. Kali glanced up at him.

"What?"

"Take Reno," he muttered as Bao stood ready. Rude let Reno go and Kali took over the support. Rude pulled the daggers out of the belt loops on his pants. "The rest of you get out. Use the door Valda did. I'll take care of Bao."

"Rude? What are you doing?" Yuffie hissed. Rude shook his head.

"I'll explain later. Go!" he yelled. Like Kali thought back when they were at the docks, the rest of them decided it was best not to argue with Rude when he raised his usually quiet voice. They ran to the door while he remained by the entrance. To their surprise, Bao let them pass. When the door locked, Bao turned back to Rude and smiled.

"Bao, what are you doing here?" he whispered. "I thought you had died in Midgar!"

Bao only shook his head.

"Why are you helping her? She's just like Rufus. She'll kill us all."

Bao shook his head again.

"Why aren't you talking? You're not still angry with me, are you?"

"I ha o ung," Bao replied. He opened his mouth and Rude saw the stump in his mouth. "Ahn I ah ill angy."

Rude sighed and slid his glasses into his pocket. He spun the blades as he walked towards Bao. He held them stiffly as he came closer.

"I'm sorry, little brother."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Well, we have our weapons at least," Kadaj whispered as he slung his scabbard over his shoulder. The others picked through the stash to find theirs. Devin watched Kali hide Masamune with jealous eyes.

"Beautiful blade," he whispered. Kali smiled

"And only I can carry it," she said smugly. Kadaj rolled his eyes and glanced around. He saw a door on the other side of the room.

"That way," he pointed. The group followed him to the door. Weapons ready, they opened the door quickly. When they saw what was behind it, Kadaj smiled widely.

"Sachiko!" he cried. She turned and smiled at his voice. He ran up to her, but slammed into a glass wall. Sachiko walked up slowly and laid her hand on the glass while Kadaj rubbed his nose.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you," she whispered.

"How do we get you out?" he asked as he ran his hands over the glass.

"I've tried breaking it, but it's impenetrable. Only Valda knows the codes to get it open," she replied. Kadaj looked to the side and saw a small keypad. He walked up to it and raised his sword.

"So let's smash this mother fucker and get you out."

"No! Wait!" Alim yelled. "She has it wired so that if anyone tries to break the code or pad, The Hitomi gets electrocuted!"

"Shit," Kadaj snapped. He turned around as he heard Rude open the door slightly. Without turning, he called to them.

"Get out now! They're coming! Go! Urgh!" he yelled. Bao was still coming at him. Rude snapped the door shut.

"Rude!" Kali yelled through the door.

"I'll be fine! Get out!" he called back. They listened to the struggle that was taking place behind the door. Kadaj ran up to Sachiko's cell and laid his hand against the glass.

"Can we break it?" he called. Sachiko shook her head.

"Same effect. I'll be shocked with electricity. Just go Kadaj. I've survived them for a while now. I can survive a bit longer. Please, if you don't go now, none of us will escape with our lives," she whispered. She laid her hand against the glass. Kadaj laid his over it.

"Kadaj, I found the door! Let's go!" Yuffie yelled. Kadaj kept looking back at his lover.

"I can't leave you," he shook his head.

"She's right. If we don't go now, we'll never leave. If we go now, we can rescue her later," Cid pointed out. He was holding the door open and waiting for him.

"Sachiko," Kadaj whispered.

"I love you, Kadaj," she said quietly. He stared at her silently.

"I love you, Sachiko," he replied. He glanced at the floor and closed his eyes tightly. His mouth trembled. He finally looked up at her and yelled, tears dripping down his face. "Sachiko, I'll come back and get you out of here! I promise!"

"I know. Good luck!" she cried back. Kadaj took one last look at her before he ran for the door. The last sight he managed to see was Sachiko beginning to cry in her glass prison. Then the door was shut and she disappeared.

"How do we get out from here?" Kadaj asked Alim as they walked down the corridor. Alim shook his head.

"I haven't been in this section of the building. The farthest I've been on this floor is the president's office. I never even knew that they keep The Hitomi there," he explained. As they turned the corner, roughly one quarter of the Hitomi guard was waiting for them. Kadaj immediately pushed Alim in front of them.

"Don't shoot the doctor!" the front guard yelled. Valda, standing next to him, shook her head.

"They won't let him go. They're using him as a shield. Fire at will."

"President!" Alim yelled out of fear as the guards readied their guns. More came behind the group. She stared at him silently.

"I still have Skylar and I can always find another scientist. Wait for Zan and I to leave. Then shoot at will," Valda said as she turned. The guards aimed as she disappeared through a small door.

".em m'raht on nacs lat romf osno pae wehT" Kali whispered. Her hands curled around the hilt of Masamune.

"Kali?" Devin muttered. When she looked up, her eyes were shining silver.

".ilaK toN .oN" she whispered. Kadaj held his breath while the others stared nervously. ".ihsanaN"

"Nanashi, let Kali go!" Kadaj snapped immediately. "Do you want me to strike you again?"

"I'm only trying to help. Trust me this time," she whispered. The others, having heard this backwards, only stared as Kadaj backed away.

"What's she doing?" Reno muttered as he leaned against Yuffie. Nanashi walked up to the guards. As she walked closer, they aimed and fired without mercy.

"KALI!" Yuffie screamed.

When the bullets stopped firing, they were amazed to see that the bullets had encased Nanashi in an orb. The guards walked backwards quickly as the orb flew up. The ball suddenly exploded and the bullets flew towards the ones that had fired them. When the orb disappeared, every guard lay dead on the floor and Nanashi hovered above them.

"You've helped enough," Kadaj called. "Now release her!"

"As you wish," she smiled. Nanashi closed her eyes and when they opened again, Kali looked down and gasped. As she made the noise, she began falling. Cid caught her before she hit the ground.

"Kali, what the fuck were you doing?" Cid yelled as Kali's feet hit the ground.

"That was Nanashi," she said to Yuffie and Reno, "and she's the monster I mentioned earlier."

"The Safer Sephiroth," Reno nodded. He winced and his legs gave out again. Cid picked him up.

"We don't have much longer. We need to get out immediately," Cid whispered.

"What about Rude? He's my best friend. I can't leave him here," Reno muttered.

"We'll wait outside as long as we can. I say we give up on him if he's not out ten minutes after we are," Kadaj said. Reno opened his mouth to argue.

"Reno, I'm sorry," Kali whispered, "but Kadaj is right. I love Rude as much as anyone else here, but if he gets caught, he's good as dead. We need to worry about ourselves now. He told us to go. If that's his last wish, so be it. We'll honor it."

"I think we should start heading down. The guards will be after us any minute," Yuffie pointed out. They began to run to the stairwell. To their surprise, no more guards followed. They made it to the first floor before the guards came out. Upon reaching the ground level, nearly every other guard in the building was blocking the entrance.

"Okay, here's the plan. First we-" Kadaj started, but Kali cut him off.

"Just leave them to me. Stay as close behind me as you possibly can. Let's go!" she yelled. She ran through the crowd of guards and slashed mercilessly at those standing in her way. They all underestimated the sword, so they tried to get closer, but to no avail. Kadaj took off after her. Cid soon followed with Reno, then came Devin and Yuffie. They were at the door when they stopped to look back. Half of the guards were strewn across the floor, either bleeding or dead. Without any sign of remorse, Kali turned on her heel and walked out of the building, her shocked friends close behind.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Iv uh?" Bao moaned. He and Rude stood several feet apart, both of them panting heavily.

"Bao… stop, please…" Rude panted. "I don't… want to fight you…"

"Ooh ay," he groaned back. As Bao came closer to Rude again, Rude turned on his heel and ran down the corridor. He slid to a stop when he found himself back in Valda's office. He screamed when Bao stuck his knife through his shoulder.

"Why are you doing this?" Rude gasped as he held the table for support. "How long ago was it? Thirty years now?"

"Eh. Aw ong eough," Bao whispered. As he readied his other knife to stab Rude through the heart, Rude turned and swiftly stuck his daggers into Bao's sides. The bodyguard yelled and dropped to the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Rude muttered. He walked calmly out of the room, wincing now and then at the pain in his shoulder. After a few moments, he reached back and pulled the weapon out. He bit his sleeve to avoid screaming and drawing attention to himself. Ignoring the blood dripping down his back, Rude made his way slowly down through the elevator, trying to get his injuries to stop bleeding. He was amazed that he escaped unscathed, but he was no longer shocked when he saw a good number of the Hitomi army lying dead and wounded in the lobby. Memories from the Meteor Crisis flooded back. "This looks like Sephiroth's work…" he muttered. Shaking his head at the thought of sweet Kali doing this, he walked outside to see his friends running for the woods. He sighed. They listened to him, at least. He looked up to see a woman standing on the cliff facing the ocean. Walking closer, he recognized Tifa. As he came up behind her, she turned and yelled in surprise. She began falling backwards off of the cliff. Rude immediately shot out his hand and grabbed her wrist as she dangled off the edge.

"Rude, pull me up! Or are you too attached to _His_ children?" she yelled. Rude glared for a moment before he yanked her up and helped her to solid ground. She stared at his eyes through the glasses as he held her. "I thought you would drop me. Why did you…?"

"Never mind. Don't expect it again," he said quietly, letting her go and starting to leave. He turned when Tifa laid a hand on his bleeding shoulder.

"I should kill you, you know. But you saved my life. Next time we meet, I'll have to kill all of you."

"I know."

"And I can't let you go without an injury from me," she said. Before Rude reacted, Tifa slashed his chest open with her own dagger. The bleeding was nothing compared to his shoulder, but Rude still fell to his knees in pain. "Good bye Rude."

He waited until she walked away. When she was out of sight, he stood shakily and walked weakly towards the woods where the group had disappeared.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNI**

**NM:** Okies, chapter 21 up and running. Can't think of much to say… so on we go to reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Yeah, thanks for the shotgun idea! I thought about having them find bullets, load it, and send Pradipa ahead to scare the guards, but I forgot and couldn't fix it when I remembered so… yeah. And Nanashi is back! Happy now?

**Maria:** Glad you liked it! Hope to see you get an account and write some fiction!

**Mediciner:** There are links to more pics on the two sites listed at the bottom of my profile. And he is _so_ a hot bishie! Actually, Soul Vagabond and I thought he was Sephiroth at first (before they released his name) and we were going to write a complaint to Square about cutting his hair! And I always keep my promises, rest assured.

**Arcander:** Wow, haven't heard from you in a while! Glad to hear you're still reading. And yeah, I'm trying to rack up a little sympathy for each character. Dunno why, but I am. The Tonberry was a spur of the moment idea. I love them, they're so cute! Except when I'm battling one in the battle arena of FF7 with only Cloud and half his HP… ((winces at memory))

**Soul Vagabond:** You suck. You didn't even read! But… I KICKED YOUR ASS IN SOUL CALIBUR II AND I"VE NEVER EVEN PLAYED BEFORE! I'm getting my ass kicked at school on Monday for that, I just know it… but maybe next time you'll actually READ the chapters!

**Kizna1200:** Ha! I'm not killing off Reno, either! I _am_ killing off one of the members of the hero group, but you'll have to read on to find out who. And Reno will come down with something very reminiscent of FF7... (this chapter should have given part of it away) And Yuffie didn't go homicidal. Maybe later. And if you need anything else about FF7AC, lemme know! The only reason I replied to that email so soon was cuz we had a snow day and I was home.

**NM:** Hey, I'm thinking of starting a poetry fic. We've been doing poetry in English class and I've written a couple of poems for characters in this fic (Nanashi and the party all together particularly), and I'm thinking of posting them on here. They're actually pretty good even though I usually suck at poetry. Whaddya think?

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	22. Disastrous Affairs

****

Chapter 22

Disastrous Affairs

"I don't believe he didn't come out," Reno muttered. Alim sat next to him and wrapped a bandage around his wrist while the others sat and cried quietly. Reno merely sat in shock and muttered the same thing over and over. When his wrist was cleaned up, he started trembling and, face buried in his hands, wept uncontrollably.

"Reno," Yuffie whispered soothingly. She wiped her own tears from her eyes and hugged him.

"I can't believe Rude's…" Reno trailed off. "He was my best friend. I lost Elena, Tseng and Rufus. He was all I had left, and now he's gone," he choked. The rest of them fell into silence, broken only by Reno's crying.

"He's not really dead, is he?" Kali finally moaned into Devin's shoulder. Devin lifted his head and smiled slightly.

"I don't think he is."

"You sound pretty sure," Kadaj replied bitterly.

"That's because he's right over there," Devin pointed. Everyone's gazes turned towards Reno and Yuffie.

"Shut up Reno," came the quiet voice behind him. "You're always such a wimp."

"Rude?" he snapped as he turned quickly. Rude smiled weakly and with difficulty as he dropped to his knees and blacked out. A few minutes later, Reno, the reason unknown to everyone else, joined him in unconsciousness.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You're awake," Kali whispered three days later. Rude looked up at her as she smiled.

They were in a house in Junon, across the continent from Ath Midgar. Alim had bandaged Rude before they carried him and Reno to a train yard. They explained that they had to get to a doctor in Junon, so the director of the line let them on without question. They had silently snuck into an abandoned house near the entrance of the small village under the base.

"Where's Reno? He looked beat up."

"He's still asleep. He blacked out just after you did. There," she pointed. Rude sighed at the sight of his friend's flaming red hair in a bed only a few yards away.

"I feared the worst when I saw that he sliced his wrist," he muttered. Rude closed his eyes again and Kali left him, assuming that he was going back to sleep.

"Is Reno any better?" she asked her cousin as he checked up on the man.

"No. I haven't found a reason for his unconsciousness. But there's no need to worry. Probably just blood loss," he replied. As he spoke, Yuffie, Cid, Kadaj, and Devin came in.

"How are they?" Cid asked as he straddled a chair at the foot of Rude's bed.

"Reno's still the same. Rude woke up a moment ago, but I think he's sleeping again," Kali explained. Kadaj stood thoughtfully against the wall and glanced out the window.

"Did anything seem odd to any of you when we were in Ath Midgar?"

"What do you mean?" Kali asked.

"Is it just me, or did something seem to have happened between Rude and that guard?" Kadaj continued. He looked back at them. "Rude sounded like he knew the guy."

"You know, I think you're right," Yuffie said thoughtfully. She nodded. "Yeah, it does seem that way."

"What do you think it is?" Devin thought aloud. The next voice made them jump.

"I do know him," Rude muttered. He pulled himself up so he was propped on the pillows and his eyes were half open. "We go way back, actually."

"You do?" Cid said. They stared at Rude.

"His name is Bao," he said quietly. He sighed. "And… he's my kid brother."

"Your brother?" Kadaj repeated. "But Reno told us you had no living family."

"I never told anyone I had any siblings. I feared that he had died when Midgar was destroyed. Besides, I was too ashamed of what I did. I didn't want to think about him."

"What happened?" Kali asked. She sat next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Please tell us."

"Okay," he muttered. He closed his eyes and they thought he had fallen back under. When he started talking again, his voice was so quiet they had to strain to hear him. "There's eight years between us. When I was about Kali's age, I, being the typical older brother, didn't want to be around him much. He was bugging me, so I went out for a walk to get away from him. I was gone about two hours. When I got back, he was sitting on the front steps of our house, crying. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that our parents were dead. I went inside, I didn't want to believe him, but when I saw them…" Rude shuddered at the memory, but continued talking. "My mother's face was blue and there were slight cuts around her neck. She was strangled to death. My father's neck was sliced open and his blood was covering the floor. I started trembling and walked outside. I asked my brother who murdered them, but he didn't know. He had started to run after me earlier, but he heard them yelling and went back. He got there as the killer ran away, so he didn't see his face. When he said that, I started shaking even worse and got scared. I started running away. Bao followed me for almost a quarter of a mile. When we got to the park he used to play in, he grabbed me around the waist and begged me not to leave him. I grabbed his wrists and pushed him. He fell on the ground and started crying as I began running again. He didn't follow me and I never looked back. I finally stopped and cried.

"A few days later, I found Bao walking to a friend's house. I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. All he said was that he had a foster home and they were looking for me, that I needed to be in one as well. Bao and I never saw each other again. After he left, I started thinking. I felt ashamed of myself. The Valentine gunmen of the Turks never ran away from anything. They were the two men I looked up to more than anyone."

"Valentine gunmen?" Kali repeated.

"Vincent and his father," Kadaj explained. Rude nodded.

"I decided to join the Turks then. I was the approved age and thought that was the only way I could track down the man that murdered my parents. I told the Turks that tracked me down what my intentions were, so I had no other choice after that. I studied to be a gunman for five years, but I never got through it well enough. When I continued to fail, they transferred me to martial arts and weapons training. That's when I met Reno. He had just entered, and I had to start over again, so we had the same training sessions. We've been best friends for the past thirty years," he whispered. He glanced at Reno for a moment, then turned to Alim. "If he dies, so do you. We're like brothers. Yuffie and I are all he's really got, and I know he's the closest friend I'll have. I'm not letting him go like I did the other Turks and the President."

"I'm sure he'll be fine shortly," Alim assured him somewhat nervously. Rude closed his eyes and began falling asleep again. Kali stood and turned to her friends.

"I think we should let them rest," she said quietly. Nodding in agreement, they all followed her downstairs, Alim saying to keep an eye on the two invalids. The small group sat in the living room and discussed their next course of action.

"What now?" Cid whispered.

"We go find Sachiko," Kadaj said promptly. He shook his head. "I don't want her away from me… _us_ any longer."

"Kadaj, do you really think it'll be easy to break her out?" Kali asked. Kadaj lowered his eyes.

"We can try."

"Don't kid yourself," Devin said. "With you guys out of there, they'll have stepped up the security. We'd be in there less than a minute before the entire guard is on us."

"How the hell would you know?" Kadaj snapped immediately.

"He's right. They know you slept with her. They know that you two love each other and you'll want to get her out," Yuffie reminded him. Kadaj closed his eyes, knowing deep down that she was right. "They'll want to keep an eye on her for awhile, make sure nothing comes from you two screwing around, you know?"

"Are you saying I got her pregnant?" Kadaj muttered. Yuffie shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe, but highly unlikely. Either way, they'll be keeping her under observation for a while. I say we wait until they least expect an escape attempt."

"What are we supposed to do until then?" Kadaj whispered. "I can't stand the thought of what they might do to her. What do they need her for, anyway?"

"Maybe Alim knows something. We'll talk to him when he's done taking care of Reno and Rude. Those are their names, right?" Devin asked. Kali nodded.

"Rude will be fine. I hope Reno is, too," she said softly. Cid smiled suddenly.

"I think I have an idea," he muttered. He looked up at them. "Reeve."

"Reeve?" Kadaj repeated. Kali gave him a sideways look.

"Who's that?"

"Another ex-Turk. He was a traitor back when we went after your dad," Cid explained. "Did Vincent tell you about Cait Sith?"

"Yes," Kali nodded. Her mouth opened a little as she thought a moment. "Oh, him. Yeah, Vincent told me about Reeve. What help will he be?"

"Valda seems to be a lot like Rufus. If she's doing things the way he did, Reeve should know about it and be of some help in getting Sachiko out," Cid suggested. "Besides, he loves giving away secrets and confidential information. I'm sure he's been keeping an eye on things out in Ath Midgar."

"Where is he?" Yuffie asked, all of them becoming excited at this thought. Cid hesitated a moment before scratching the back of his head.

"I… really have no idea," he admitted. They sighed with heavy hearts and turned at a voice coming from the stairs.

"He's been living in Corel and spends most of his time at the Gold Saucer," Rude said. He winced as he walked into the room.

"How do you know?" Kadaj inquired.

"Reno and I have kept in touch with him over the years. Last time we heard from him was just before Kali and Vincent came. Unless he moved between then and now, he should still be there."

"What are you doing down here?" Kali asked suddenly. She gave him a stern look.

"Alim sent me down. He said he needs to check Reno out in private. He said something about not wanting to scare me. I don't know what," he shrugged as Kali began asking. She furrowed her brow and glanced at the floor.

"So I guess that's it. We'll wait for you two to get well enough to travel, then go find Reeve," Kali finally shrugged.

"We'll hide out here until then, okay?" Yuffie piped up. They all slowly nodded their agreement.

"Since Alim sent you down, I guess there's no change, huh?" Cid sighed. Rude shook his head.

"Reno seemed to be regaining consciousness, but I guess he wasn't," Rude shook his head.

"You seem to care about Reno a lot," Kadaj pointed out accusingly. Rude glared at his smirking face.

"I know what you're thinking. Do you honestly think I would love Tifa so much if Reno and I are in love? Or Reno love Yuffie the way he does?"

"Good point," Kadaj nodded. "Sorry, it's just the way you talk sometimes."

"I know. But you and Kali talk the same way about each other, and you're siblings," Rude reminded him. Kadaj and Kali couldn't help smiling at each other. "Like I said, Reno is like the brother that Bao never was. Rather, the Bao that died with our parents."

"You know…" Kali whispered. She looked up at Rude. "If you want, you can stay here and we'll go find Reeve. I'm sure we'll see Tifa on the way, and I'm sure we'll have to…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence for fear it would upset him. To her surprise, Rude shook his head.

"No. I prefer being with my loved ones when they die. I would rather be able to say goodbye."

"You're sure?" Cid asked. Rude nodded.

"He's got a point," Yuffie sighed. "I think back on how I reacted when Vincent died. Sometimes I wonder, 'What if I had seen it? What if I had the chance to be with him until the very end? Would I have had closure, or would the pain be greater?' At times, I envy you, Kali, for being able to actually say farewell. Other times, I can't even imagine how painful it must have been."

"It was very painful. My heart's never been so broken," Kali whispered. Devin wrapped his arm around her waist and held her hand. Kadaj stiffened, but he remained in place.

"It's the same with me and father," Kadaj agreed, his eyes never leaving his sister. "I saw one of his deaths but was unable to say goodbye, I was with him only a few minutes before he took the last breath of his next, and I only saw him be placed in the ground after his last. I never saw him actually die and be able to talk to him until the very end at the same time."

The group fell silent. They all noticed the tears forming and decided not to pursue the subject any longer. After a few minutes, Cid and Yuffie left them to go to bed. Rude wrapped up under a blanket on the couch in the room and fell into an uneasy sleep. Kadaj, Devin, and Kali were the last to go upstairs. Devin parted at the top of the stairs, but Kadaj stopped Kali for a moment outside of her room.

"Kali, if you need me, I'll be right next door, okay?" Kadaj assured her. Kali nodded before turning to her room. She smiled at the sight on her bed. Pradipa was curled up tightly, one of her boots clutched in his paws. Kali gently pulled her boot out of his grasp and picked him up.

"Kali?" Pradipa squeaked softly. Kali smiled and lie down, the small Tonberry snuggling up against her breasts.

"Yes, little Pradipa. It's me. Good night," she whispered. He licked her hand before falling back to sleep. Kali joined him for a few moments before a movement next to her woke her up. She opened her eyes as Devin sat on the edge of her bed and kissed her. She pushed him away as he began to gently move Pradipa with one hand and slide the other up her shirt.

"What?" he whispered as he sat up. Kali shook her head.

"No. I don't want to have sex," she muttered. Devin stroked her face.

"I love you, Kal. I've wanted to tell you for so long," he said softly. She smiled back.

"I love you, too, Devin. But you know Kadaj is in the room next to this. He doesn't like you, and I have no idea why. I don't think he wants to wake up and walk in here to find us fucking around. Knowing him, he'll think you're raping me or something."

"Hmm. You're right," he nodded. He stretched out next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Kali laid her arm between Pradipa's paws and rolled onto her side. She laid her hand and head on Devin's chest before closing her eyes. "I don't think he'll mind this as long as we have pants on, right?"

"I guess not," she muttered sleepily. Kali snuggled up against him as tightly as she could. "Good night, Devin. I love you."

"I love you, Kal," he replied just as tiredly. Kali was asleep in seconds, but Devin had a little bit of trouble, especially after catching a glimpse of white clothes, black hair, and furious red-violet eyes staring angrily at them through the window.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali? Kali, get up!" Devin snapped quickly. He started shaking her.

"Devin, I told you, no sex," she moaned. She looked up to see his worried face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but something's up with Reno. Come on, Alim wants to see all of us now," he said shakily. Kali felt her breath catch in her breast for a moment before she leapt out of bed, Pradipa still in her arms, and ran with Devin to Reno's room. Rude and Kadaj were entering at the same time they were.

"What's going on?" Rude asked worriedly as Devin and Kali followed them in. They both shrugged. When they saw Reno, Rude started shaking and Kali found it impossible to suppress her gasp.

Reno was wrapped up in the bed, just as he had been the night before, except without his clothes on. He and the bed were also covered in sweat. Tears clearly stained his face and he was twitching slightly. His eyes were half open and they were glowing even more than Cid's or Kali's. He glanced at all of them, but didn't seem to actually see them. His breathing remained inconstant as well. One moment he was literally gasping for breath, the next it was shallow and uneven, the next it was normal, then it seemed to stop completely, and then it began all over again with a random breath. As they watched, Reno suddenly gave a heave and was vomiting violently into a bucket next to the bed.

"What's wrong with him?" Cid asked Alim nervously. The scientist wiped Reno's mouth before he checked his pulse and sighed.

"I examined him all through the night. Reno, as you know, cut his own wrist back in the lab. He used one of our Mako injection needles, but the syringe was still partly full of Mako. The needle slipped and he injected himself, but the Mako he received as a Turk did not wear off as much as it has in other previous Shinra employees. A few moments later, we had a slight tussle and a jar of the substance was knocked over. It shattered next to Reno's head and some of it dripped into his mouth and nose. More of it flowed into his wrist and the Mako-covered glass dug into his skin, thus putting even more into his system."

"What does all of that mean?" Rude asked, but the look on his face told Kali that he already knew.

"Like I said, I examined him all night. There's only one conclusion I've come to. I'm sorry," he said quietly as he looked at all of them in turn. He took a breath before answering. "Reno has a severe and advanced case of Mako poisoning."

"No," Yuffie shook her head and raised a hand to her mouth. Cid looked to the ground and Rude started shaking even more. Kadaj only closed his eyes while Kali and Devin stared at Alim.

"What is it? Is it bad?" Kali asked, although she already knew the answer. Alim nodded.

"Very bad. It only happens when a person either ingests it or too much is introduced into the bloodstream. I understand that Cloud almost died of it when he was going after your father. In mild cases, which are very rare, the victim recovers fully. In normal cases, the victim lives, but remains insane for the rest of his life. In severe cases like Reno and Cloud, which like mild ones are rare, it's very unlikely that the inflicted person will live. I'm very sorry."

"Reno, no!" Yuffie yelled. She sat on the bed and threw herself against him, her tears flowing nonstop onto his chest. To Kali's surprise, Rude looked like he was nearly ready to do the same. Instead, he walked quickly out of the room. Kali buried her face in Devin's shoulder as she, too, began sobbing.

"Reeve," Cid whispered. "We need to find Reeve. There's nothing we can do for Reno except let him rest," he added at a glare from Yuffie. "You and I both remember what it took for Cloud to recover. All we could do was try to stop Shinra and Sephiroth and let Tifa look after him."

"Then I'll stay," Yuffie said quietly. "He needs someone who loves him here. I'll stay and look after him. The rest of you go get Reeve."

"Where's the president…?" Reno muttered suddenly. Yuffie closed her eyes tightly.

"Now the delusions begin," she said shakily.

Kali gave Reno a small kiss on the cheek before she picked up Pradipa and walked out. She walked to the living room and saw Rude sitting on the couch, his head resting against his hands. She sat next to him, Pradipa sat in her lap, and she wrapped her arm around him. He hugged her back and rested his face on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Kali," he muttered shakily. "I can't help it."

"I know. We all need to right now. Go ahead," she whispered gently. She began to cry as she realized the true horror. In that moment, she knew how terrible the Mako poisoning was, for she somehow knew that she was the first person in their group to ever see Rude shed tears.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You'll be fine by yourselves?" Cid asked Yuffie the next afternoon. She nodded.

"Yes, we'll be great."

"You'll send word if anything happens to Reno, good or bad, right?" Rude asked for her reassurance. Again, Yuffie nodded.

"Of course I will. You'll be the first to know," she said gently as she laid a hand on his shoulder. Rude and Cid turned to Kali, Kadaj and Devin.

"Let's go," Kali nodded. They began walking away from the house slowly. Five minutes later, they were stepping onto the elevator that would take them up to the old base. Kadaj held Kali's hand as they rose.

"You okay with all of this?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just really worried about Reno," she replied quietly. Kadaj stared at her.

"What about Devin?"

"What about him?"

"You said you never wanted to see him again, that he found you before I did and he left you to die."

"I don't think it really happened."

"What? You sounded so sure before," Kadaj gasped. Kali looked up at him.

"My dreams have been so real lately. You saw it last time we got pulled to the Lifestream. I can't tell what's true or false, I can't even tell for sure if this conversation is real or dream. Kadaj, tell me I'm not going crazy."

"You're not crazy," he whispered gently. At that moment, the platform came to a stop. "This is it. Come on."

Kadaj led them out of the lift and looked around. They were in a narrow hallway. To the right side was a short, dead-end hall with a large glass window looking out at the airship and plane landing pads. Straight ahead was another short hall with two doors. One led outside where the pads were. The other led to the city.

"This way," Cid pointed at the one leading to the city. They walked through and were instantly blinded by the sudden sunlight. After adjusting to the brightness, the group walked through the abandoned streets. A few merchants stood outside their shops to try and sell something, but nobody stopped. They came to a long tunnel and stared down it.

"Which way?" Kadaj muttered. They looked from the entryway across from them to the one on the left. Rude pointed.

"That way," he said and began walking forwards. They left the tunnel and in a few moments were standing on the docks, a small ship conveniently ready to set sail.

"How will we split up? I don't have enough gil for my own room," Kadaj said as he pulled his pouch from his pocket. The others nodded in agreement.

"I guess I'll bunk with Rude and Devin," Cid offered. Kadaj nodded his agreement.

"Then Kali and I will share a room."

"No, I have enough for my own," Devin piped up. They stared at him. "I've been in enough fights and have enough gil left from what that woman gave me for the daggers."

"Okay. I guess we'll meet up in the mess hall for breakfast tomorrow morning then," Kali smiled. They bought their tickets and boarded the ship. As Kali and Devin parted, Kadaj winced at the length of their goodbye kiss. Kali finally went into their room before her brother approached Devin.

"You leave her alone," he warned. "You and I both know you're the one that's been trying to rape her and kill me."

"And yet we're the only ones," Devin smiled. "Who do you think they're going to believe? A girl who's known me her whole life or an overprotective older brother?"

"You better watch yourself," Kadaj threatened. Devin smiled again and turned away. Kadaj waited until he was in his room before entering his own to find Kali readying herself for sleep. "You're going to bed already?"

"The past two days have been really long," Kali whined. She stretched out on the bed and scratched Pradipa's chin. "Besides, I'm the one that stayed up to help look after Reno last night."

"Yeah. I guess we could all use a little extra sleep, huh?" Kadaj agreed. He hung his coat on a hook and stretched out next to his sister. "I'm actually a bit tired, too."

"Then I think we should sleep. Kadaj?"

"Hmm?" he sighed as he closed his eyes and held her close.

"You're worried about Sachiko, aren't you?"

"Very worried, yes," he replied quietly. "Why do you think they need her that badly?"

"I remember what Vincent told me about Aeris. Shinra wanted her to find the Promised Land, just like daddy wanted to. Maybe they're trying again."

"Maybe. We'll ask Alim when we get back. Hell, Reeve might even know."

"We'll find out soon. Goodnight, my brother."

"Goodnight, kid," he muttered. They fell asleep within a few moments.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Yet another emotional chapter. Honestly, who ever thought of Rude crying or abandoning a little kid? And the Mako Poisoning is a bit FF7 reminiscent, eh? Anywho, I don't have much else to say except sorry for updating a little later than usual. Replies:

**Soul Vagabond:** You're back! ((POUNCE)) I know I'm definitely getting my ass kicked for that, too. As for the motorcycle thing, we already argued about that over the phone, so let's never speak of it again. And get reading to this part! XD

**Sayahiei:** Thank you so much for reading my poem! You're the only one so far. And I explained the whole Nanashi monster thing the other day. Okay?

**Mediciner:** Not haikus, but things like sonnets (I have one up right now!) and ballads (wrote a great one for Nanashi) and the like. Yeah, I try to give my characters names to fit their personalities. I wanted to give Pradipa a name that had to do with 'knife' or something, but, alas, there were none. So I went with lantern. Yeah.

**NM:** And just so you know, I have a poem in my collection thing now. Please read it! If you don't mind spoilers, that is.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	23. Anger Management

****

Chapter 23

Anger Management

"Hmm…" Kadaj moaned. He quickly sat up and opened his eyes. Kali was gone. "Kali?" he yelled. No answer.

He slowly slid out of bed and got dressed. With his hand comfortingly on his blade, he opened the door. Down the hall, he could see Kali running around a corner. Behind her was Devin.

"Shit," he muttered. Kadaj ran down the corridor and reached the door as Devin was closing it. Just before they disappeared, Devin grinned and Kadaj could see his sister kneeling on the floor and crying. As she looked at him, he saw that she was bleeding from the chest. The weapon was still in Devin's hands and dripping with blood.

"Too late," he whispered to Kadaj. They were gone.

"KALI!" Kadaj screamed. He pounded on the door, but nobody opened it. By the time he began to break the lock off, Kali had begun screaming in pain.

Kadaj panicked and worked faster. After a moment, he, too, screamed, for the blade slipped and removed two of his fingers. He gritted his teeth against the pain, but as the door finally opened, he knew it was too late. Kali had stopped screaming. When Kadaj threw open the portal, Devin was nowhere to be found. He only saw Kali's still body lying across the room.

"Kadaj," she gasped weakly as he knelt by her.

"Don't try to talk," he insisted. He held his sister close and cried silently. She struggled to lay a hand on his face.

"Kadaj, stop crying," she muttered. She winced as the pain of her injuries swept over her again. "Go kill Devin and his master. For me," she added. Kadaj trembled as her mouth fell silent and chest failed to rise again.

"Kali, I'm so sorry," he whispered. He stood and stared at her bloody body. A voice at the door made him turn.

"Kadaj! What the hell just happened?" Cid yelled. He and Rude were standing in the doorway.

"Kali's dead," he said quietly. He tried to say why, but he only froze.

Behind his two friends was a woman in white clothes. She smiled and nodded. Kadaj tried to tell them to run, but the only sound that escaped his mouth was a sharp breath. He stared at Cid and Rude for a moment before swallowing weakly and glancing down.

"Kadaj!" Rude yelled. They started to run across the room to him, but they were too late. Kadaj flinched as the bloody inch of metal that was sticking out of his stomach was pulled out through his back. He dropped to his knees and, as his vision darkened, watched the white woman stick her sword through Rude and her dirk through Cid's heart. They dropped dead almost immediately while Devin walked around from behind him, a dagger covered in blood.

Kadaj struggled to stay alive and watched as Sachiko was brought in by two vampires. She struggled against them, but her strength was no match for that of these bloodsuckers. Kadaj swallowed again and gently held Kali's hand. Sachiko knelt at the woman's feet and trembled. She begged that she not die, but it was no use. Kadaj screamed with all the energy he had left as he watched Devin stick one dagger through Sachiko's back and the other through what he knew was her heart. Kadaj shook angrily and felt what little strength he had ebb away as the woman knelt and pulled off the two marbles from Sachiko's staff. As Kadaj died and began to awake, he suddenly realized what they were.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj opened his eyes and let the tears drip down his face. When they ran out, he turned to find Kali still sleeping next to him, Pradipa curled up against the backs of her knees. With a sigh of relief, he stood and washed his tear-stained face. After writing a note for Kali should she wake up and making sure the door was locked tightly, he shut the door and began walking up to the deck. Halfway there, he realized that he was stuck out here for the rest of the night, for he had no key to get back into the room. He sighed, furious with himself, before walking out and breathing in the night sea air. To his surprise, somebody else was already out there.

"Worried about Reno?" he called. Rude laughed quietly as Kadaj leaned against the railing with him.

"What gave it away?"

"We're all worried. I'm surprised Kali's actually sleeping through the night," he shrugged. Kadaj glanced down at the scar around Rude's exposed wrist and winced slightly. Rude noticed and stuck his hand in his pocket.

"I haven't forgotten," he whispered. Kadaj looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.

"Neither have I. I don't want your forgiveness," he replied.

"I wasn't going to," Rude muttered. Kadaj glanced at him. "To be honest, your sister was the only thing stopping me from kicking your ass when we met again back in Midgar."

"She's pretty much the only thing keeping me from doing a lot of things lately," Kadaj agreed as his eyes turned to the moon. "She's a good kid. Sometimes I wonder if we're truly related so closely."

"I don't find it hard to believe," Rude said after a moment of silence. Kadaj snapped his head towards him.

"What makes you say that?" he inquired. Rude shrugged.

"I don't really know. Just a feeling," he said quietly. "I guess…"

"What? We're on the same side now. You can tell me anything," Kadaj pressured.

"I remember how you looked at us seventeen years ago. Your eyes searched ours for hints of lying or anger or whatever you needed to know. Sephiroth did the same thing back when he was a General. When Vincent brought Kali to our house in Wutai, she did the same thing. I told them to get out and Reno and I would forget they were ever there. That's the first time I really looked into her eyes and they sort of…" Rude hesitated a moment to find the right word. "Her eyes sort of paralyzed me, I couldn't look away. It was like she was looking for something from me. She did the same to Reno."

"I know what you mean."

"Your dad did that to you?" Rude smirked.

"No," he whispered. Kadaj looked back at him. "Kali has. Father never looked at me the way Kali does."

"Really?" Rude furrowed his brow. "Why do you think it is?"

"I think it's because…" Kadaj sighed and fell silent.

"What?" Rude asked, giving him a sideways look. Kadaj shook his head.

"Never mind. It will wait. But Rude?"

"Yeah?"

"If Kali and I ever run off without a word, don't come after us."

"What do you mean?"

"I hope you never have to find out," he said finally. Rude nodded and turned to go back to bed.

"You going back to bed?" he called over his shoulder. Kadaj shook his head.

"I locked myself out on accident. It's going to be dawn in just a few hours. I can wait. I'm not even all that tired," he replied. As Rude started to walk through the door, Kadaj yelled back. "And Rude?"

"What?" he called. Kadaj glanced at his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses as always.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything you've done since Vincent brought her here," he said quietly. Rude smiled faintly before walking back up to Kadaj.

"Actually…" he began, the smile fading.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali sat up straight, thus waking up Pradipa. The young Tonberry squeaked angrily and nipped her hand with his little teeth.

"You woke me up!" he growled. Kali picked him up and held him close as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry, my baby. I just had an awful dream."

"What?" Pradipa asked.

"Devin killed me. A woman in white came and killed Rude and Cid. Then Devin killed Kadaj and Sachiko. After that, I had a dream that I stabbed Devin with my sword and he was dying in my arms."

"I don't like him!" Pradipa replied. Kali held him in front of her.

"Pradipa, don't talk like that. It's not good to say things like that."

"He has a bad smell. I don't want you hurt," he muttered. "You saved my life. I want to save yours."

"No, little one. I don't need my life saved. Where's Kadaj?" she said suddenly. Pradipa wiggled out of her grasp and curled back up.

"I don't know and I don't care," he muttered. He was asleep a moment later.

"Some help you are," Kali rolled her eyes. She got up and saw the note saying that Kadaj was up on the deck. She gently laid a blanket over Pradipa and walked out slowly. She left the door unlocked so she could get back in. She was about to walk out when she heard Rude and Kadaj talking.

"Thank you," she heard Kadaj say.

"For what?" Rude replied. She could tell he was close to the door.

"Everything you've done since Vincent brought her here."

"Actually…" Rude began. Kali listened as his footsteps moved towards Kadaj. The smile that had grown on her face was fading slowly.

"What?" Kadaj asked.

"This sounds horrible, but sometimes I wish she had never come here."

"What do you mean?" Kadaj gasped. Kali stiffened and listened intently.

"I'm glad she's here, I mean, she did help get Reno and I out of Wutai. We haven't been off the island since Cloud and Tifa got married. On the other hand, if we hadn't left, I never would have gotten stabbed in the back when we were going to Midgar. Reno wouldn't have gotten poisoned, Vincent would still be alive, Cloud would still be alive-"

"Well, I don't care about him," Kadaj reminded Rude.

"It doesn't matter. If she hadn't come, I never would have seen Bao again. I wouldn't have to hurt or kill him. I wouldn't be looking for Tifa to kill her," he added sadly. "I like her, but lately I've been wishing we'd never met."

"You know, come to think of it, most of the bad stuff that's been happening to all of us has started after she came," Kadaj agreed quietly. Kali trembled violently. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and began skirting the wall to go to the other side of the ship. It wasn't quiet enough.

"But on the other hand- who's there?" Kadaj called as the door snapped shut. Kali stood there and stared at them.

"It's just me," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Rude noticed immediately and walked up to her.

"Kali, I'm sorry," he said quickly. He tried to hug her, but she tore away.

"If you were really sorry you wouldn't have said it in the first place," she muttered angrily. She turned and walked across the deck furiously. Rude watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

"I fucked up big time, didn't I?" he muttered as he joined Kadaj again.

"I wish she had listened to what I was about to say. What you said is true, but on the other hand, she has a role to play. She needs to be here. Everything happens for a reason. And you know, there are two things that happened that are good."

"What?"

"Firstly, all of us have begun understanding father and each other. We've become closer. I'm sure that now, you don't really want to kick my ass as badly as you did seventeen years ago or even just a few weeks ago, right?"

"True. What else has happened?"

"I met Sachiko," Kadaj smiled. He closed his eyes as he turned his face to the moon.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Devin stretched out on his bed, waiting for a sign. He finally sighed and fell asleep. After a few moments of dreaming about Kali, his eyes snapped open as somebody shook him.

"Who the hell is it and what the fuck do you want?" he moaned before opening his eyes. He leapt up when he saw who it was.

"Watch your language around the likes of me, mortal," the woman growled. Devin bent on one knee and muttered his apologies. "You are forgiven this once. Why have you not killed the girl?"

"Pardon, miss, but Kadaj will not let me anywhere near her without him around."

"Why don't you kill him first? Then perhaps there will be less trouble with your duty," she suggested bitterly. Devin glanced at the floor.

"Ma'am… I'm beginning to have second thoughts."

This comment was a mistake on his part. The woman's red-violet eyes flared for a moment before she picked the man up by the neck and slammed him against the wall. He grabbed her wrist, but it was no use. She had a tight hold and her nails had grown longer. They dug into his skin while he turned blue.

"I will not fail in my attempt to purify the Planet. Do not get in my way. You will do as you are told or I will kill you again," she growled. Devin tried to speak, but he lacked too much oxygen and was too frightened. She finally let go and he dropped to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Yes, master," he panted when he regained air in his lungs.

"Good. Now, when are you going to do what you have been ordered?" she hissed. She knelt before him and held his face in her hand. He flinched, but slowly answered.

"I need some time to get to her. We're going to the Gold Saucer. I'll do it then. Make it look like an accident."

"Good boy. You know what to do now," she smiled. He grimaced as she kissed him on the lips.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Cid sat quietly in his room, dozing lightly as he rubbed his chest. The after effects of the heart attack still hurt slightly, but not like it did when the event occurred. He sighed and began falling asleep. He jumped at a yell a few doors down. His heart sank; it was the voice of a woman, and the tone was one he hadn't heard in years. After deciding it couldn't have been Kali, Cid wrapped back up in his blanket and tried to sleep. About half an hour later, he was bounding out of bed and sprinting towards the dock as he heard a loud splash and screams outside the ship.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I don't believe it," Kali muttered. She gazed out over the waves halfway across the deck from Rude and Kadaj. She let the tears fall freely down her face. She rubbed her arms and shivered, for she was still in her skimpy pajamas. "None of them want me here. It's not like I have much choice. But…" she trailed off and looked to the sky. "If I hadn't begged to come with Vincent, I wouldn't be here. It's all my fault," she muttered, looking to the waves. She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands while she sobbed. "It's all my fault… it's all my fault…"

She finally came to a decision. Without knowing why, Kali slowly stood and leaned as far as she could over the railing. The waves were oddly fierce. Her entire body trembling, she climbed over the railing and wrapped her elbows around it to keep herself from falling off the edge. Her heels were barely touching the edge of the deck. She stared at the waves, trying to mentally talk herself out of doing what she wanted to. As she watched the waves, she heard a woman's faint yell. Even two floors above them, she somehow knew it was coming from Devin's room. Sure enough, she watched as a woman in white somehow phased through his window a few minutes later. The woman clung to the edge of the ship like a spider, glanced up, and met Kali's eyes. They stared for a moment before the white woman smiled.

"Nanashi…" she whispered. Kali felt Nanashi rise to the surface of her mind.

"…eniruZ" Nanashi hissed before Kali could stop her. Suddenly, the woman sprouted four wings from her back, two leathery brown and two feathery white, and flew up at her. Kali struggled to push Nanashi down, but to no avail. The woman hovered in front of them. Kali's body trembled, but Nanashi refused to let her drop.

"How pleasant to see you again, Nanashi. Tell me, how does it feel feeding off of another, living as a parasite of the mind?" she said slyly. Nanashi stared at her with steely eyes. "Have you forgotten how to speak?"

"?er omec nosit ahW .ero febse mityn amu oyde tae fedev ahI" she replied. The woman flew back a few inches.

"Do you honestly believe that to be true? My defeats were always in vain, for the world was destroyed with me anyway. Besides, you were not the one to defeat me these past eons. The girl whose body you have taken has always been the one. Do you think you can beat me through her?"

".seY"

"Ha," the woman scoffed. "You sound so very sure."

"?net togro fu oyev ahrO .ef iln iec nou oydet aef edI"

"Yes, I remember. But you know neither of us is to be so easily killed now. Each rebirth only makes me stronger, until finally I become invincible and immortality is mine again. You know that."

".er omy natoN"

The woman flew back several more feet before flipping backwards and dropping into the water. She was gone.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali found herself in a dark room with only what appeared to be a large television screen. She watched the exchange of words between Nanashi and the woman. She couldn't see many features, as the ship was dark, but she could tell that despite her wearing white, she was evil. As she disappeared, a voice echoed through the room.

".ilaK ol leH"

"Nanashi!" Kali called. She felt the head of her physical self nod.

".lu osruo yedi snisi oh wIsit itah twon k'tsu meh stub ,edi sas sensu oics nocru oyg nih supro fez igol opaI .seY"

"Nanashi, who is she? Is she fucking Devin?" Kali cried. Nanashi sighed.

"…ot sehsi wohw na moweh tsiehS"

"Wishes to what?" Kali cried.

".pih seh tot nok cab g'nili areh trev oogy leta idem mitsu muo ytub ,kca b'dni m'ru oyuo yevi gottu oba maI .ret alni alpxel liwI"

Kali blinked as she regained control of her body. Suddenly becoming frightened, she scrambled to get back over the edge and place her feet on the deck. She was sitting on the railing when two people came up. Rude and Kadaj were walking up behind her. Below, she listened to a bubbling noise. She glanced at the waves as her two friends told her to come down. She gasped as the water boiled right where she would have fallen. They covered their ears as a harsh voice rang through the air.

"If he will not kill you, I shall do it myself!"

"AH!" Kali screamed shrilly.

Suddenly, as soon as the voice stopped speaking, the white woman flew up from the water. Buckets poured off of her as she came up in front of Kali and grabbed her by the throat. She spun in the air and held Kali high over the water. The woman smiled at the girl as she squeezed her neck as hard as she could. Rude pulled out a gun and, after taking careful aim, pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, the woman knew this was coming and swung Kali in the bullet's path. Kali screamed as the bullet hit her lower back and the grip on her throat loosened. Rude yelled for her as he and Kadaj dashed towards the edge of the ship. She managed to grab the railing and hang over the edge.

"Help!" she cried, feeling her own blood drip slowly down her back, hips, and legs, finally dripping off her toes to turn the sea red. Kadaj stretched out on the deck and grabbed for her, but he never made contact. As his fingers came within an inch of hers, the woman skimmed the water and flew straight at Kali. Taken by surprise, Kali screamed again and lost her grip, thus falling into the ocean. Kadaj watched the woman fly off into the night.

"Kadaj, go tell the captain there's been an accident! Tell them Kali fell overboard and we need to get her out!" Rude yelled. Before Kadaj could argue, Rude threw his shirt and glasses to the side and jumped over the railing after the girl. Kadaj went running for the rescue squad as Cid and Devin ran up to see what had happened. They stared over the edge as Rude managed to pull Kali's head over the water and swim next to the ship. She was unconscious.

"She's not breathing! Hurry up!" Rude called when he saw them standing there. Devin was visibly shaking while Cid turned away to look for Kadaj and the rescuers. Rude held Kali close as he struggled to keep their heads above water. He finally managed to hold her in front of him, her limp arms around his shoulders and her peaceful head resting against his chest. Rude started shaking as her chest failed to move against his stomach. "Kali, please, stay with me. Come on, stay here. I'm not letting you go. I'm so sorry for what I said before. We love you, Kali. Follow my voice out of whatever darkness has you. Please, listen to my voice. Follow it out of the eternal night."

With difficulty, Rude attempted to give her CPR as a rope was thrown down to them and rescue workers urged him to pull himself up.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

".ilaK ,pue kaW"

"No. I don't want to. This is what I intended. Please, let me die."

"?rebme mer ,odot boj aev ahu oY ?tah tya su oyn acwoH"

"They don't want me there. I might as well be dead. Father lied to me. I am all alone now that Vincent is gone."

".ilaK ,oN"

"Yes. Not even Vincent wanted me around. He never wanted me to come with him in the first place."

".ei dI ,ei du oyfI"

"You're sure?"

".seY"

"But Rude… How can I face him again without anger and hatred?"

"…net siL"

"Kali, please, stay with me."

"Rude?"

"Come on, stay here."

".deir ro wyrev sieH .seY"

"I'm not letting you go."

"What? He's serious? After what he said?"

"I'm so sorry for what I said before. We love you, Kali."

".ilaK uo yev asot g'niyr tsi eH"

"How do I get out of this otne tsiL"

"Speak to me, my friend…"

"Follow my voice out of whatever darkness has you. Please, listen to my voice. Follow it out of the eternal night…"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Rude, let them get to Kali!" Kadaj yelled. The medics were struggling to get to her, but Rude only pushed them back. He would push on her chest, press his mouth to hers, put air back in her lungs, check her heartbeat, and then push the doctors back before repeating the process.

"No! It's my fault she went over! I'm the one who shot her! I'm going to save her!" he snapped back. He went back to his work. Kadaj finally nodded and watched nervously. The medics waited patiently.

"Rude, just let them take her to the hospital," Devin finally said. "It's the only way."

"No, it can't be the only way," Rude only shook his head. He took a deep breath and forced the air into her mouth. He quickly pulled his head away and jumped back as they watched Kali's chest and stomach heave. She coughed up water for a few moments before looking up weakly at Rude.

"Thank you my friend," she muttered. Rude smiled at her as she blacked out again.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali, are you okay?" Devin whispered two evenings later. Kali looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine. What's happened? I remember waking up as Rude gave me CPR, but what after that?"

"Not much. The ship is going to arrive in Costa del Sol in the morning. The doctors said you'll be able to go then. Your back is just fine."

"Devin," Kali muttered. She held his hand and closed her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her knuckles and smiled as she giggled. "What's so funny?"

"Your moustache tickles," she muttered. "How's Rude?"

"He's hardly left the room. He left to go get something to eat, but he'll be back shortly."

"I feel horrible about what I did now," she said quietly. She closed her eyes gently and was asleep before Rude came back. As he entered, a plate of food in one hand and Pradipa sitting on his shoulder, Devin stood and wrapped the sheet around her shoulders. He pecked her on the cheek before walking out.

"How is she?" Rude asked as they passed each other.

"She woke up. Kali just needs sleep now. Good night, Rude," he said softly. When Devin was gone, Rude sat in the chair next to Kali's bed as Pradipa leapt off his shoulder and curled up next to her chest.

"She'll be okay, right? We're never going to lose Kali, are we?" Pradipa muttered as he accepted a piece of fruit from Rude. The man glanced at Kali's face and Pradipa could see a faint smile.

"No, Pradipa. We're not going to lose her. Ever."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** As usual lately, not much to say. Except: did anyone catch anything… _unusual_ let's say about the conversation between the White Woman and Devin? Take a close look… Anyway, reviews:

**Sayahiei:** At least it's not Street Sweeper Sephy… ((shudders while rotflao)) Surprisingly, she didn't kill me. Then again, she's not up to this point yet… Did you catch the plot twist? Have a good time on vacation!

**Ryu the Youkai:** ((huge grin)) Always glad to meet another Cloud hater! And yes, Cloud is dead, he will never come back! ((does Numa Numa Dance))

**Mediciner:** Is this enough action for you? Be patient; just one more man-plus-woman-plus-bed scene, and it'll probably be the next one or two. After that, no more. Wait… I lied. Two more scenes. BUT they're going to be one chapter right after the other, and one's not going to turn out like you expect… And I hope you enjoy the poem. I've decided to try and put one up anytime I don't have an update for this ficsome week, which might be fairly often over the next few months since almost everything I've planned has happened and I have little idea of how to get from point A to point B on the rest.

Review!

NINJA MAGE


	24. Coast of the Sun

****

Chapter 24

Coast of the Sun

"This place is beautiful," Kali gasped as they walked off the ship. She gazed at the town before them, Costa del Sol.

"It really is. When we have some free time, we'll come hang out here, okay?" Kadaj smiled. Kali nodded happily.

"I think we should get going to the Gold Saucer," Rude suggested. The rest of them reluctantly agreed and began walking slowly towards the exit of the city. As they walked, Kali suddenly gave a small yelp of pain and reached behind her back.

"You okay?" Devin asked immediately. Kali nodded slowly, but her face was scrunched up in pain.

"I think the bullet wound is still too fresh for me to move around a lot," she moaned. Cid thought a moment.

"I think they have buggy rentals around here. We can rent one and take it to Gold Saucer. It's the only way to cross the river there, anyway," he added. Rude and Cid walked off to get the buggy while Kadaj, Devin, Kali and Pradipa sat just outside the town.

"You're sure you're okay?" Pradipa asked concernedly. Kali nodded and scratched his chin.

"Of course I am. And you know what? I'll be even better once this whole mess is over," she assured him. She never noticed Devin lowering his eyes, but Kadaj did.

"What the hell's your problem?" he snapped. Devin's head snapped up.

"Huh? Sorry, I've been kind of out of it lately. I can't really explain it," he admitted.

"I know what you mean," Kali smiled softly. She looked up at a noise coming from the town. A moment later, a small buggy was coming towards them. They stood as Rude jumped out.

"We need to get going. Come on," he called. He helped Kali and Pradipa in and when they were ready, Cid began driving to the south.

"How long until we get there?" Devin asked. Rude, sitting in front of him, glanced back.

"About three to four days. Assuming we don't get held up by a breakdown or anything, that is," he added. "If we have to walk, it'll be at least a week and a half."

"Great," Kali rolled her eyes. She glanced out the window. "This planet really is beautiful."

"You only think that cause you've known no other world your entire life," Kadaj muttered. He glanced at Cid next to him. "Right?"

"That's what Vincent and Yuffie always said. They said Jahan was a pretty nice world compared to ours," he said as he stole a glance back at them.

"If you don't mind," Devin yawned, "I'm going to take a nap. Riding in a motor vehicle tends to have that effect on me."

"Sleep tight, Devin," Kali called back to him as he stretched out on his seat. When she was sure he was asleep, Kali turned back to Kadaj. "Why do you hate him so?"

"Huh?" Kadaj muttered. He glanced back at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're sitting up front to be away from him. You avoid him everywhere we go, and you don't want me around him. What the hell is your problem?"

"I told you. He's the guy who's been stalking you," he shrugged. "He cut me open, Kali!" he snapped as she gave him a death glare.

"Maybe if he had known you're my brother, he wouldn't have."

"I didn't even know I had a sister until a month ago!" he retaliated. Kali turned to look out the window angrily. Kadaj stared at her another moment before glaring out the windshield. Cid and Rude sat in a mildly stunned silence.

"Ever fight like this with Bao?" Cid asked quietly. Rude shook his head.

"Never really got the chance."

They rode for an uneventful day and a half before Cid stopped to stretch their legs. Kali walked around quietly. She finally sat on a small boulder and watched the sun begin to set. Devin finally walked up to her.

"How's your back?"

"Better than when we left Costa del Sol," she sighed. Devin sat next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about pain much longer," he whispered. Kali glanced at him worriedly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, once we get Reno cured and Sachiko back, we'll all be happy, right?" he smiled. He embraced her. "We can be together and go back home and not worry about this place anymore."

"Devin, I…" she trailed off as he kissed her neck gently. _I can never go home again_, she thought as his moustache tickled her skin. She finally looked to the sunset.

"What?" Devin asked. She stared at the sky.

"The sun is like our lives," she whispered. "It rises in the morning as we are born. Then, at the end of its cycle, it falls into darkness, like we fall to death."

"What are you talking about?" Devin wondered aloud.

"Then comes the moon," she continued, pointing at the silver orb rising behind them, "with our afterlife. It rises as the sun dies and moves through the sky as our souls travel through death. When the moon sets, the sun rises and we are reborn into another body. It's no wonder so many believe in reincarnation."

"What brought this about?"

"I don't know," Kali lied. She stood and walked towards the buggy. Devin leapt up and ran after her.

"Kali, is there something you need to tell me?" he asked as he grabbed her shoulders and looked in her eyes. She shook her head.

"No. Not yet," she muttered. She turned and climbed into the buggy while the others settled in as well.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"How's Kali back there?" Kadaj asked. He struggled to steer and talk to Rude at the same time. Cid and Devin were fast asleep, but he was unsure about Kali. The moon was shining brightly high above them. Rude glanced down. Kali was fast asleep, head in his lap and Pradipa clutched in her arms.

"She's fine. Out like a light," he said quietly. He glanced up and looked at the back of Kadaj's head. "You think Reno and Yuffie are okay with Alim?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Kadaj assured him. "If you're so worried, why don't you call them?"

"I will in the morning. I don't want to wake anyone."

"As deeply as Kali sleeps, I don't think that will be a problem."

"I'll wait," he said finally as Kadaj stopped to avoid hitting some people hiking. He glanced at his sister.

"Where's her coat?"

"She gave it to Devin. He said he was cold," Rude explained.

"She looks cold now," Kadaj pointed out. Indeed, goosebumps covered Kali's arms and stomach. He began moving again slowly as Rude struggled to get his jacket off. The next time Kadaj looked back at them, Rude's jacket was wrapped around Kali's shoulders, Rude's glasses were in his lap, and they were both asleep. Kadaj smiled to himself and muttered, "Too bad she's not closer to your age."

"Rah!"

"What the fuck!" Kadaj yelled. He slammed on the brake as the monster leapt onto the roof of the buggy. He hit the brakes so hard, Cid slammed into the impenetrable windshield, Rude hit the back of Kadaj's seat, Kali fell to the floor with Pradipa, and Devin rolled under Kali and Rude's seat. Kadaj moaned as he rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

"Everyone okay?" Rude called when he shook the shock off. Cid, Kali and Pradipa groaned their replies.

"Kadaj? Oh my god, Kadaj, are you okay?" Kali snapped when she saw him kneeling over the wheel. She placed a hand on his shoulder and his head slowly lifted.

"I'm fine," he muttered. He winced as he rubbed his forehead. When he took his hand away, there was blood on his fingertips, as he had just cracked open his head. "You all stay here."

"Where are you going?" Cid asked as Kadaj picked up his sword and prepared to leave the buggy.

"I saw something. I don't know what, but whatever happens, keep Kali safe and in here," he ordered. They listened to the slam of a door, except it wasn't his door that closed. In fact, he hadn't even touched it.

"Devin?" Kali called. He didn't answer. When she looked back, he was gone. "He left us…"

"Good. Maybe the monster I saw is hungry," Kadaj muttered. Kali didn't hear him. She listened a moment before screaming. The creature was banging on the roof of the vehicle, pounding huge dents into the metal.

"Come on!" Kadaj yelled. He tried to open his door, but couldn't. It was stuck tight. "Shit."

"_.krow seniruZ sis ihT_"

"Who's Zurine?" Kali asked aloud, forgetting that nobody else could hear Nanashi.

"What did you say?" Rude asked, drowning out Nanashi's answer.

"Shut up, I can't hear," Kali muttered. She listened and looked up at Kadaj. "Kadaj, Nanashi says that Zurine is the one who attacked me on the ship the other night. She's the soul Rufus warned us about."

"What?" Kadaj stared at her.

"What are you two talking about?" Cid asked them.

"Nanashi, what are we supposed to do?" Kadaj snapped nervously. Kali closed her eyes and listened. She was shaking slightly when she opened her eyes.

"She wants me to give her control of my body again. Except, she wants more than I've let her have before."

"You take no more control than you have so far. If you take any more, I'll kill you," Kadaj growled threateningly. Kali nodded.

"She accepts. Rude, take Pradipa," she ordered, giving the small Tonberry to him.

"What are you doing?" Pradipa inquired. Kali only closed her eyes gently.

"All of you get as low to the floor as you can. This is going to be powerful. I can feel it."

The next moment, the creature on the roof was thrown aside as Nanashi sent a ball of energy through the roof. Nanashi leapt out of the hole and knelt on her haunches, staring at the winged beast with silver eyes.

".tu ot eG" Nanashi snarled, Masamune clutched in her hand. Zurine smiled.

"Do you honestly think I'll listen?"

".lort noce vahIn ehwr eh hcu otto nera duoY .em fodi arf aera uoyw onkh to beW"

"You can't win. You and I both know it. You and the girl will die before this is over. I guarantee it," Zurine hissed. She flew off into the night. As she did, Devin crawled out from under the buggy. Kadaj wasted no time in grabbing him by the collar.

"Where the fuck were you? You chickened out on us! We could have died! You're lucky Kali let Nanashi out!" Kadaj screamed. Devin threw his hands off and turned to Kali as Nanashi gave her back control. Kali stared at him.

"You were afraid. We all were. There's no shame," Kali whispered gently. He hugged her while the others checked how much damage was done. Only Kadaj saw when Devin smiled menacingly over Kali's shoulder.

"Bad news," Cid sighed. "The buggy's shot. We have to walk."

"Damn it," Rude muttered. "I guess we should start now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kadaj agreed reluctantly. As he walked towards the path into the mountains, his legs gave out. Kali ran to him promptly.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I lost too much blood. I'm a little out of it," he admitted. Indeed, the gash on his head wasn't terribly deep, but it was wide and long, thus allowing a large amount of blood to flow. Kali walked Kadaj back to their friends so they could bandage his wound.

"Maybe we should go ahead and make camp for the night," Kali suggested. Cid nodded.

"But one of us might want to keep watch. In case that monster comes back, you know?" he shrugged.

"I'll stay up," Devin offered. Kadaj shook his head.

"You chickened out earlier. You're not exactly my first choice, you know?"

"Then I'll stay up first," Rude said in a final tone. He turned to Kali. "Now who's this Nanashi person?"

"I don't really know. It's beyond my explanation," she whispered. Rude stared at her over the rim of his glasses.

"We both know that's not true," he pointed out. Kali closed her eyes.

"I honestly don't know exactly who she is, but I know she and that Zurine woman have met before. I share my soul with Nanashi, and she speaks backwards. She keeps asking me to give up control of my body to her, but I can't let her take her true form. Not yet," she muttered. Pradipa gave her a sideways look.

"You're not going to change, are you, Kali?"

"Someday, yes."

"What does her true form look like? Do you know?" Cid asked. Kali looked away from the group.

"You of all people should know. She looks exactly like daddy, except female, black, and with two extra wings," she said softly, her hand reaching up to stroke those painted on her back. "She looks almost just like Safer Sephiroth."

"Kali," Cid said gently, "don't let her take that form. If anyone sees you like that, you're good as dead."

"Nobody will. I was told that I'll take that shape when Kadaj and I go to-"

"Kali, stop!" Kadaj snapped. "Now is not the time to tell them!"

"Tell us what?" Devin inquired. Kadaj glared.

"Nothing. We'll tell you when the time comes."

"Kadaj, if there's a problem, you have a job to tell us what it is, okay?" Rude ordered. "Vincent made us promise we'd look after you two. We can't do that unless we know what the hell is going on, got it?"

"Fine then," Kadaj said quietly. "When we return to Junon, we'll tell you everything."

He stood and walked towards the buggy. A moment later, Kadaj was laying out blankets and sleeping bags for them all. They had all begun settling in when a ringing noise made them all alert.

_Beep beep-beep. Beep, beep. Beep-beep. Beep beep-beep._

"Sorry, my cell," Rude said. He pulled the phone from his pocket and walked away from the camp to talk. As he spoke quietly, the others wrapped up and waited for news of Reno.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Yuffie? How is he?" Rude asked. Yuffie sighed.

"No real change. He's started talking about you, though," she told him. "At least we know his memory is decent. We asked him what the Rude he mentioned looked like and it fit your description perfectly."

"Good. How much longer does he have until…?"

"We can't really tell. God, this is scary," Yuffie shuddered.

"It's okay. Reno's a fighter. He'll pull through somehow."

"What about you guys? Everything going alright?"

"Sort of. Kali fell off the ship the night we left. Some demon pulled her off the ship and threw her in the water. I tried to shoot her, but she got Kali in the way and I hit her instead."

"Oh, is she okay?" Yuffie gasped.

"She's fine. Then a few minutes ago, the demon came back and tried to kill us. Nanashi sent her away. Kadaj got hurt, too. We had a buggy and when she jumped in front of us, Kadaj hit the brake so hard he hit his head on the wheel and cracked it open."

"I hope everything goes well," Yuffie began. She turned at a yell from Reno. "Ugh, he's having another hallucination. I need to keep him in bed. Talk to you soon."

"Bye," Rude replied. He hung up and walked slowly back to camp. As he walked, he glanced at the stars. "Damn you, Sephiroth. You took away Rufus, Tseng, Elena, and Hojo. You'd better hope Reno gets through this and Kali doesn't turn out like you. I'd hate to have to kill her."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Sephiroth," the woman in pink whispered. She laid a hand on his shoulder and knelt next to him. He was sitting on a cliff, his coat and armor lying by his side.

"Do you really think they can do it?" he muttered. The woman looked to the ground.

"I don't really know what to think. I believe they will, and I pray each day, but in my heart, I'm really not sure," she admitted. She smiled slightly. "You've been rather quiet lately."

"I just… I can't bear to think of spending eternity here without her. If I had known then what I do now, I would have brought Michiko with me through the portal."

"But that was not the first time you've died. You should have known the rules by that time," she reminded him. Sephiroth closed his eyes.

"I only hope that our daughter can make it through this. I've never really been able to hold my little girl, but I can't imagine her dying. That's the only way I can hold her now," he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Perhaps not. After all, do you remember her ability that she will gain when she wins?"

"I doubt I'll be sent home."

"Why?" the pink woman asked in surprise.

"Have you listened to her? Have you been watching her dreams?" Sephiroth asked her. "She loved Vincent. She loves Devin. If she's as unselfish as she seems to be, she could always send you back. Hell, she might even send Cloud. There are enough people to choose from that she doesn't have to send me."

"Sephiroth, don't speak like that. I have listened, and I hear love in her voice when she speaks of you. She's proud to be your child, and so is Kadaj. I'm sure they'll be fine. They have your blood running through their veins, after all."

"But will they be too late? They were in the past, remember?"

"They were, but they have Nanashi now. Nanashi killed _her_ centuries ago."

"Have you been feeling odd lately?" Sephiroth asked. She thought a moment.

"A little bit, yes. Why?"

"I sense that the Lifestream is beginning to resurface, even though she still doesn't have the replicas. If it does, the world is doomed."

"Since when do you care whether the world is destroyed or not?" came a male voice behind them. Sephiroth closed his eyes and spoke over his shoulder.

"What do you want, Cloud?"

"Reno's shadow is getting restless. He doesn't have much longer. When are your oh-so-perfect children going to help him?"

"Soon. Very soon," Sephiroth muttered. He stood and pulled his armor back on.

"What of the soul that escaped? He'll die again soon, won't he?" Cloud asked nervously. "If he doesn't, what then? You know very well that he wants to kill Kali."

"Calm down. He doesn't want to kill her, but he knows that he'll die if he doesn't. His fear of death is greater than his love. That's the weakness of the human race."

"But if he doesn't die?" Cloud moaned again.

"We'll just pray that he does," the woman in pink whispered.

"And in the event that my children do fail," Sephiroth began, turning to the woman, "I want to apologize again, Aeris."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Get up, everyone! Come on!" Cid yelled. They all sat up groggily in the bleak light of the cloudy dawn. Kali opened her eyes and saw a buggy sitting nearby. This one was slightly larger than theirs.

"What's that?" she asked as they began packing their small camp.

"They're taking supplies to the Gold Saucer. They said they'll give us a ride," cid explained. With hope renewed in their chests, the small group packed their things even quicker and were in the buggy within ten minutes. As they rode across the river a day later, Kali glanced out the window and gasped.

"What's that tower over there?" she asked, pointing out the window. In the middle of a patch of desert was a tall tower with a track reaching from the middle to the mountains a few miles away.

"That's the Gold Saucer," Rude explained. Kali smiled as they rode past the desert towards the start of the cable. As they got out of the buggy around dusk, they watched as a small lift moved down towards the broken town before them.

"Thanks for the lift," Cid called to the driver. He walked slowly into Corel, resulting in a massive cheer.

"It's Cid!"

"He's back!"

"Yea!"

"What's all this for?" Devin asked as they walked through the dirty streets.

"Back during the Meteor Crises, Rufus wanted to collect Huge Materia to fight against Meteor and the four Weapons that came out of the Northern Crater. The train carrying the Blue Materia was going to hit this town, so I of course had to stop it. I haven't been able to go through this place since without getting a hero's welcome," Cid explained.

"Wow," Kali smiled. "That's great. But why didn't Cloud save the town?"  
"Cause that's when he had the Mako poisoning," Cid said solemnly. As he spoke, they approached and boarded the lift. Kali started to look out the window, but quickly covered her mouth and buried her face in Kadaj's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared of heights. First I get really dizzy, then I get sick," she moaned. "Just don't let me look out the window, okay?"

"You got it, kid," Kadaj smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. After a few minutes, he noticed that she was oddly quiet. When he shook her, she didn't stir.

"She's asleep?" Pradipa asked. Kadaj nodded.

"I think so."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Young Kali… such a pretty girl. It will please me to kill you…"

"Who are you?"

"Nanashi told you who I am. You know you cannot win."

"You're lying. It can't be that hard to win."

"You know nothing of power and strength. You are a weakling."

"Where's Nanashi? If she was here, you wouldn't be here taunting me."

"She went out to lunch, so to speak. There were some things they needed to tell her in the Lifestream. In the meantime, I can take over your body instead."

"No. I won't let you."

"Succumb to me, young child."

Kali winced as the soul pushed through. She started screaming at the searing pain in her head. As she woke, she saw a white demon flying straight towards her.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Ah!" Kali screamed. She stood quickly and grabbed her head. The yell woke the others just in time. As she stumbled back, the door flung open and she fell out. Kali managed to grab the edge, but the lift shook violently. As Devin looked up through the window, he saw the woman on the roof trying to topple them. He glared as the others reached for Kali.

"Hold on!" Kadaj yelled. "Cid, get ready to shut the door. Rude, get ready to grab her. Devin, you and I will get that demon."

As he spoke, Devin quickly climbed out the window. Kadaj started to follow, but Devin locked the window as he leapt out. By the time Kadaj managed to get it open, Devin was climbing back in and the demon was flying away. Kali still dangled on the edge and the wagon rocked from side to side. Rude sat on the floor and pushed his feet against the doorframe.

"Cid, when the lift slides to the left, I'll grab her. When it slides back to the right, I'll slip backwards with Kali and grab a seat. When we slide to the left again, you close the door," he ordered. It rocked a few times while he sat there, his eyes focused on Kali.

"What are you waiting for?" Kadaj snapped. The lift slid to the left, then the right again. "She's going to fall!"

"I have to time this right," Rude muttered. He stiffened when he noticed that Kali's fingers were sliding.

In a swift movement, Rude let himself slide as far as he could to the edge while his feet were planted against the wall and reached for Kali. As they swung to the right, he pulled her and they slid to the other side of the lift together. Cid closed the door as the two of them started sliding towards the door again. He held her close and tightly, even when the door was shut. Nobody dared to move until the lift settled. When they finally started going back to their seats, Rude slowly let go of Kali. She sat up and trembled out of fear. They sat on the bench seats and Rude noticed that Kali's eyes were red and watery. Looking down at his jacket, there was a large wet spot right where her face had been. Pradipa nudged his hand.

"Thanks, Rude," he muttered. Pradipa jumped down, ran across the floor, leapt onto the seat, and curled up in Kali's lap happily.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Well, this is it," Cid grinned as they stepped out of the lift an hour later. Kali smiled as she gazed at the lights. The entire building was glowing brightly, and on the other side of the ride, fireworks were shooting into the air.

"First of all, let's go get our rooms," Kadaj ordered. "Then after a good night's sleep, we can go look for Reeve. You look like you need it," he added, glancing at his sister. She nodded and they walked through the mouth of what appeared to be a large snail. At the entrance was a fat, stuffed bird statue. Kali and Devin stared as Cid showed the ticket-taker a gold-colored ticket. She nodded as they passed.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer. Enjoy your stay, and don't be afraid to spend your money."

"What did she mean?" Kali inquired. "Spending our money, I mean."

"This place is a huge casino and theme park," Rude explained. "This way to the hotel."

They had just entered a round, bright yellow room with seven portals leading off. They noticed the pictures stuck on the floor. Rude led them to one that said 'Ghost Hotel.' He sat in the tunnel and let himself slide down. The others followed one by one. Kali giggled as she slid through the dark tube after her friends. By the time she was thrown out a few moments later, she was crying from the laughter. The joy soon died as she looked up at the house before them. It was a life-size model of a haunted house. Kali held Kadaj's hand as they walked up the path.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM: **Wow. Nobody correctly caught that clue in the last chapter (Mediciner was sorta close, though)… Ah, well. There was only one five-letter word beginning with 'a' and ending in 'gain' so I'm really not too surprised. The Lifestream clip should give it away. Or you can reread the conversation between Devin and Zurine. I don't really care. But if you don't catch it after reading this chapter, I'll send The Lord and Master Foamy to stick you in the eye with a really hot French fry! Not really… oh, and the Lifestream was just a random event I threw in to help with the hint I gave last chapter, and to show a glimpse of a soul's perspective of these events. Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope the trip wasn't too bad. And Nanashi is back in this chapter, too. Happy day!

**Ryu the Youkai:** ((gasp)) Reading fanfics during class instead of doing work! Shame shame! Just joking. I just know that at my school, they monitor what sites we go to on the comps, and if we check email or IM or go to 'inappropriate' sites or 'non-educational' (this site might be under there, I dunno), they find out and we can get detention for it. And obviously, I must agree. Tonberrys are so adorable, and I'd love to have one myself, except without the knife or lamp. In other words… I WISH PRADIPA WAS REAL!

**Kizna1200:** Yeah, they are pretty weird. Devin… well… let's put it this way: he and Riku have lots in common. And yes, Pradipa is so funny, and Tonberrys are usually evil. I've only been lucky enough to beat 1 or 2 on FFX2. Keeps kickin Clouds ass in FF7... Funny as hell, but I still wanna beat one…

**Mediciner:** Wow, you came up with a lot. Okay, one by one…

1) Yes, it does mean 'white,' but I'm not sure exactly what you meant by 'major clue.' Just so you (and anyone else curious) know, she was designed to look like Sephy's opposite: Female, dark hair, dark skin, white clothes, reddish eyes, etc. So if you could help with 'major clue,' I honestly have no clue what you meant; no clues were meant by the name.

2) I'm really not sure if Aeris wanted world purification. I know she wanted to stop Sephy, so does that count? What I think is this: Sephy wanted to purge the world of the Shinra Company by summoning Meteor and taking over the planet. That's his way of 'purifying' the world (or so I see it). The way she wants to purify the world will come out within the next 5 chapters I hope.

3) Yes, he did, and if anyone missed that, see above for your punishment. The two last person-plus-person-plus-bed scenes have to do with that, so it'll be the next two chapters. And I hope the last two chapters had a bit more action for you.

4) As for Pradipa, they spent a few days on the train from the Ath Midgar region to Junon, during which Kali passed the time teaching Pradipa to talk. He's also a special Tonberry called the Zeki. They're basically geniuses, but I can't tell you more than that cause I'm still developing the point of him being one, besides providing Kali with a cuddly traveling companion.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	25. Gambling With Lives Part 1

****

Chapter 25

Gambling With Lives Part 1

"How much for rooms for," Rude paused to count, "five people and a pet?"

"500 gil for all five rooms," the hanging clerk said. "We have a special on parties. But your…" he paused and glanced nervously at the Tonberry in Kali's arms. "Your pet will have to remain in one of the rooms during your stay."

"Just a moment," Rude said. He turned to the group and whispered, "You're sure we should split up like this?" He added a glance at Kali, who proceeded to roll her eyes.

"I'll be fine. I just need to let Nanashi take over if Zurine comes," she shrugged.

"You're sure?" Kadaj muttered. At Kali's nod, he turned to Rude and sighed. "I guess we'll split up, get a good night's sleep tonight, then find Reeve tomorrow."

"No problem," Rude agreed. He laid the gil on the desk.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali gazed smiling out the window of her room. The sky was mostly clear, save a few clouds and a large number of fireworks going off in the distance. She turned at the sound of her door opening and closing.

"Hey kid," Kadaj smiled. His coat was unzipped, and Kali could see the scar from the dagger wound given to him seemingly so long ago. He sat next to her on the sill and followed her previous gaze. "Exciting place, isn't it?"

"Yeah. What time are we going to go find Reeve?" she asked. Her brother only shrugged.

"I don't know. I think Rude ordered a wake up call for himself at least, but I don't know what time."

"I don't even feel much like sleeping right now," Kali admitted. She glanced over to see Pradipa curled up into a little green and brown ball on the bed. She unsuccessfully stifled a yawn as she watched her pet. Kadaj couldn't help laughing gently. He brushed Kali's hair out of her face.

"Are you sure?" he smiled. "You look pretty tired to me."

"Just a little, I guess," she admitted further. She turned, wrapped her arms around Kadaj, and pecked him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked as he embraced her in return.

"No real reason," she muttered. She drew her arms closer so that her hands were resting on his shoulders. Kali buried her face in his chest and sat there quietly.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked concernedly, a hand going to the back of her head. When he received no reply, he glanced out at the night sky. He gently closed his eyes and sat with his sister. After a few minutes, he realized that his chest was wet from her tears. He muttered into her hair, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just so happy."

"About what?"

"Having someone who loves me, having family hold me like this," she whispered. Kadaj thought he heard her voice crack, but wasn't completely sure. He once more closed his eyes against his own tears.

Kadaj, after his back started aching from slouching, leaned back against the sill and held Kali even closer. Pradipa eventually came over and, without a word to Kadaj, squeezed under Kali's arm and fell asleep again. Neither of them could remember falling asleep, but the siblings never moved until what little sunlight could break through the clouds shone on their faces and Cid was banging on the door.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Where is that little bastard?" Cid groanedseveral hours later. They were sitting on the benches outside the Wonder Square attractions. They had spent half the morning trying to get Kali and Kadaj to wake up, and the other half plus the early afternoon was spent looking for Reeve. They had searched everywhere except the bar, main casino, and Chocobo Square. Kadaj refused to let his sister into those rough places, despite her heritage, and the rest refused to leave her alone in a strange place.

"Are you sure he's here?" Devin asked. Rude nodded.

"Positive. Last time he called, he said that he was in debt and had to try his hand at 'fortune telling' again to pay them off," he explained, rolling his eyes as he said 'fortune telling.'

"Well, wasn't Cait Sith right around here?" Kadaj pointed out, glancing at Cid.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" he snapped. "I didn't even know Cloud existed until at least a week or two after they came here the first time. And I'm not the one keeping in touch with him over the years," he added, glaring at Rude. Before he could speak, Kali raised her hand and stood between them.

"Look, we're never going to find him if we sit here arguing. If nothing else, we'll keep an eye out until our three days here are up. Then we'll go search Corel. Maybe he paid his debts and stayed home. Let's just keep looking," Kali urged. Her brother nodded and stood.

"She's right. Sitting here isn't making Reno better, and it's not going to get Sachiko out of that Hitomi hellhole. I hate taking you in there, Kali, but I think we should go ahead and check out the bar, casino, and races."

"I'm the one with an eleven foot sword, remember?" she reminded them, taking care to keep her voice low. Devin couldn't help smiling. Kali was such a wonderful girl. He knew that even without the weapon, she could hold her own in a rough place. His heart ached at the thought of what he would have to do within the next forty-eight hours or so.

"Why don't we split up? There are three places and five of us. We can go in two groups of two and one person can go alone," Devin suggested. The three other men yelled at the same time.

"No!"

"Why not? Devin's right, we could cover more ground faster," Kali pointed out.

"Kali, if people see the two of us walking around alone or with just each other, they're bound to think of father. The people here would just as soon call Valda or Cloud to kill us than ask our names. These people hated our father, and they would love to see every memory of him destroyed. At least if we're with Rude and Cid, they'll think twice. They could be taking us to Cloud or we could be ordinary people. If need be, we could hide behind them," Kadaj explained calmly. Kali nodded her understanding. The entire morning, they had stopped and ducked when Rude and Cid told them, and now she knew why.

"Then where do we look first?" she asked quietly. Rude looked up suddenly and stared after a man as he walked into the square and walked around towards the direction of the bar. "Rude?"

"Come on," he said. He approached the corner where his sighted man went. "I think I just found him."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Back in Junon, Yuffie sat by Reno's side and waited patiently. However, despite her patience, she couldn't ignore the nervous trembling in her fingers as she stared into his feverish face. He had hardly said a word since his short outburst while she spoke with Rude. Every now and then, he would mutter something either so quietly or so slurred, Yuffie was unable to tell what it was. Alim explained to her that this was because he was dying and his ability to speak was lessening each moment. Once again, she had thrown herself upon him and sobbed after hearing the news. The scientist had left only moments ago to get supplies from the local medic. She trusted him alone; she knew that without the doctor Reno would die, and there was no way Alim could have forgotten Rude's threat if that happened. As she watched him, his eyes opened halfway and he began speaking.

"Don't hurt… stop… Elena… coming… run… where am… I?" he muttered. Yuffie smiled slightly. His voice was somewhat normal, with the exception of his slow and almost robotic way of talking. She picked up a cloth from the bowl next to the bed and drained a little of the water out. She let the rest of it drip onto Reno's face.

"You'll be fine soon, Reno. Once we get Reeve, we'll get Sachiko and I'm sure she can help," Yuffie whispered comfortingly as she started wiping his face. "I won't let you go."

"Go… dangerous…" he muttered. He slowly sat up and tried to get out of bed. "Must help… President… Turks… leave danger…"

"Reno, please stay in bed," Yuffie urged as she pushed him back down. He struggled. After about a minute of their 'battle,' she finally got him to lie down and she sat on him until he lay still. Reno's eyes were still partway open, but they had a hollow, out of focus look to them. He was looking at Yuffie, but he didn't seem to see her.

"He's gone… your… love…" he muttered. The ninja felt her stomach knot. It sounded like he was talking about Vincent. At the same time, she wished he were; maybe it was a sign he was coming back. Yuffie stroked his face gently.

"I'm sorry I blamed you, Re-" she began talking, but stopped to hear him.

"Elena… Tseng… dead… Sephiroth killed… Tseng…" he muttered hollowly. "I'm here… love you…"

"Reno, go back to sleep," Yuffie begged.

Her eyes were filling with tears as she thought of what he must have been remembering. She knew well. She and AVALANCHE had been the first people to find Tseng bleeding to death in the Ancient Temple. It was only a short time before Aeris had… She blinked to keep the tears from leaving her head. It didn't work. A moment later, Yuffie let out a sob and buried her face in Reno's red hair. She sobbed while he spoke to her.

"Kiss…Yuffie…" he moaned. She sat up slightly and stared at him. "One last…"

She couldn't help it. Yuffie pressed her lips to his. He didn't return it enthusiastically, which was fine with her. She knew it was just a random bunch of words that had sprung up and managed to go from his brain to his mouth, but she didn't care. Yuffie pulled away after a long kiss and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. He only looked up at the ceiling, as was his new habit.

"I love you, Reno. You'll snap out of it soon. Please, let it be soon," Yuffie sobbed.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Where did he go?" Kali yelled over the music. Here in the bar, the music was so loud it hurt her ears, which rarely happened to her any more. Kadaj glanced at her and shrugged. They had lost Rude and the others in the crowd not a minute after entering the area. Amazingly, the siblings managed to stay together. Kali stood on tiptoes to find him.

"See him?" Kadaj asked.

"There!" she called. The two of them hurried in the direction they had seen the Turk go. As Cid and Devin came the other direction, Rude was laying a hand on Reeve's shoulder.

"Who's that?" he hollered. He turned to find Rude staring him straight in the face.

"Hello, Reeve," he said. Reeve smiled cheerily up.

"How you doing? I've tried calling you guys, but no one's picked up," he said happily. Rude smiled to himself. Reeve had no idea.

"I need a favor."

"What?" Reeve asked, suddenly interested.

"What do you know about the Hitomi? I haven't kept a very close eye out, and I need to know."

"Well," Reeve began, smiling in a way that told Rude he was lying, "I hate to say it, but I got nothing."

"Oh, really?" Rude grinned in such a way that Reeve knew he was in trouble. As the man leapt out of his seat, Rude grabbed him by the hem of the shirt and threw him against the wall. "Valda and Hitomi. What do you _know_?" he growled. He brought his face close.

"Nothing, I promise!" he snapped fearfully. Rude grabbed him roughly by the arm as the others came. They were getting looks from the crowd.

"Let's go back to the hotel, shall we?" Rude suggested. He pulled Reeve by the arm the entire way.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Mako poisoning?" Reeve repeated. Rude nodded. They had just spent the last hour in the inn lobby explaining the situation to Reeve.

Kali had been surprised when she saw him. She had been expecting someone either very muscular (like Rude), somewhat scrawny (like Vincent), or a mix of the two (like Reno), but he was none of that. Instead, she got a man who was medium height, regularly built, black hair down to his shoulders and pulled back, and a beard and moustache not unlike Devin's. Above all, she had thought he would be brave. After seeing him leap out of that chair in fear, she began doubting Rude's judgment.

"So what do you know about Valda? What does she want Sachiko for?" Kadaj pressured. He was standing next to Reeve, who was sitting.

"You know that Valda is Rufus' daughter," Reeve began. "When she was a child, she loved watching her father and grandfather rule the Planet. She took on their ideas and decided that she wanted to find the Promised Land, too. Seventeen years ago, when Rufus was dying, he told Valda that he was wrong, that there was no Promised Land, that it only lay in death. At the age she was at then, she knew not to let others influence her ideas. Unfortunately, the damage done when she was a child could not be undone. She didn't realize then, nor does she realize now, the influence put on her as a young girl. She'll stop at nothing to finish what Rufus started."

"So she wants Sachiko to find it, just like Rufus wanted to use Aeris," Cid concluded. Reeve nodded and stood.

"Well, I think that's what you wanted to know. If you don't mind, I have a friend coming over tonight," he smiled. Rude shoved him back into the chair.

"Not yet. We need to know how to get her out and help Reno. You're smart. Tell us. Now," Rude growled.

"I have an idea. We'll bet on it," he grinned. Reeve glanced at Kali. "You say you're Sephiroth's child. I have two tests for you. They will test your brain, your muscles, and your mind."

"What are they?" Kali asked, smirking at his repetition.

"Your father had an odd gift with animals, as I see you do with Tonberrys. He used to sign on as a Chocobo jockey for fun here every so often. His Chocobo died a long time ago, but because he was such a good racer and so popular, they let him use one here at the stables. He was the only one able to tame the white Chocobo, Albus. It's still here, as a matter of fact. He has an unusually long lifespan. If you can race him and win, you will go on to the next test."

"And the next test would be?" Kadaj demanded.

"That would ruin the surprise, now, wouldn't it?"

"Don't do it Kali," Devin begged. "It's not worth it."

"The lives of two people we love isn't worth it?" she said back. Kali turned to Reeve and took his hand. "It's a deal."

"Then that's that," Reeve agreed, shaking her hand heartily. "I think I'll take you down to meet the fellow you'll be riding tomorrow."

"We're coming, too," Kadaj demanded. The others nodded their agreement.

"Then let's go."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"What the fuck is that?" Kali yelled. Behind the barred door of the paddock was a large, white bird. His eyes were fiery red, and he beat his wings angrily. His large beak beat at the door, _Albus_ scrawled upon the nameplate.

"That's a Chocobo. You'll be riding that tomorrow," Reeve explained as the bird gave a loud squawk. Kali took a few nervous steps back, all of which this ex-Turk noticed and smiled at. "You're not scared, are you?"

"I've never ridden one before," Kali muttered.

"Do you want out?"

"No way in hell," the girl snapped. She walked up to the bars and looked the bird in the eyes. _You'll do as I say tomorrow. You'll listen and obey my every command, for I am the daughter of the black-caped man that tamed you so many years ago_.

"Kali? Do you want to come watch a few races to learn?" Cid asked. Kali nodded and tore her gaze from the beast before her. She and Cid walked out of the stables and directed their attentions to a screen on the wall.

"So it's like riding a horse," Kali concluded after a few minutes. Cid glanced at her.

"A horse? What's that?"

"A creature from my world. They're large, furred, have long faces, and four hoofed feet. We use them for transportation. We don't have Chocobos."

"Oh. I guess so then," Cid agreed. He stared at her. "Be careful out there."

"Huh?"

"These races can get dangerous. When Cloud raced his Chocobo, we all shook in our boots out of fear for him. Just be careful," he demanded. "It's getting late now. Let's go back to our rooms and get some sleep. You'll need your strength."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hey, Kali?" Kadaj called through the closed door. When he received no reply, he opened it slowly.

"Kadaj!" Kali screamed. Kadaj turned red and quickly snapped the door shut. The girl had been changing clothes, but had not yet replaced her top. After a few minutes, she let him in. "What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry. Loz, Yazoo, father and I were so close, I never had to knock. I'm not used to knocking on a door before entering. I wanted to borrow your CD player tonight."

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. Kadaj shrugged.

"I wanted to give it another try. You heard our music while we were in the bar. Now I want to hear yours. Plus I fell a little restless tonight. I need something to help me sleep."

"Okay, just a sec," Kali agreed. She reached into her bag and pulled out the player. "My Celtic CD is in there. It's relaxing. I always fall asleep to it."

"Thanks, sis," Kadaj smiled. He pecked her on the cheek. "I'm right next door if you need me."

"Goodnight," she called as he left and shut the door. She smiled as she sat on the bed. After looking around, she noticed that Pradipa wasn't there. _He must have gone for a walk. I hope nobody tries to battle him_, she thought. She let herself fall back on the bed and began dozing. There was a knock at the door.

"Kali? Can I come in?" Devin called. She leapt up, wrapped her coat around her (for Devin had never seen her in so few clothes), and opened the door. Her breath caught as she saw that he was only wearing a pair of pants. Kali shut the door as he walked in.

"What's up?" she asked. He locked the door, then sat on the sill and looked at her.

"I love you, Kali. That's what's up," he said quietly. Kali gave him a sideways look. There was a look in his eyes that she had never seen before.

"I love you, too. What are you doing here though?"

"Come here," Devin ordered, drowning out a quiet scratching noise. She sat next to him. As she did, her coat pulled back to reveal that her legs were mostly uncovered. The man pulled her jacket off and stared at her pajamas. "I didn't know you owned anything like that."

"I was hoping you wouldn't find out. Well, a part of me did, anyway."

"I think we both know why I'm here."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj looked up at a scratching sound at his door. He turned off the player, laid down the book he was reading, and answered. Pradipa was crouched at his feet.

"What do you want?" Kadaj asked, somewhat irritated. Pradipa waddled in and jumped up on the bed.

"Kali's door is closed, and she won't answer," he replied sadly. Kadaj tilted his head slightly.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I left to get a drink from a little pool in the lobby and when I got back, the door was closed and I couldn't get in."

"Maybe she's asleep. She was getting ready for bed when I went in a few minutes ago," Kadaj explained. He smiled and stretched out on the bed. "You can sleep in here tonight, if you want to."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

"But when we met… you called me a little shit," Pradipa reminded the human. Kadaj picked him up and laid him on his chest. He turned the volume on the player up and left the headphones off so they could both hear the music. The man began massaging the Tonberry's stomach gently. He could have sworn Pradipa was purring.

"People change. That feels good, doesn't it?"

"Hmm…" Pradipa sighed. He was asleep a few moments later. When Kadaj realized this, he pulled the headset over his ears and read, one hand still lying on Pradipa's tummy.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Devin, what are you talking about?" Kali asked. He was beginning to worry her.

"Kali, I love you so much. I know Kadaj is right next to us, but I can't wait any longer."

"I don't want to wait either, but…"

"You're afraid," he finished. Kali nodded weakly. Devin only kissed her in reply.

"I'm letting Kadaj borrow my CD player tonight. I don't think he'll be able to hear anything," she said quietly as he pulled away. She stood and walked across the room. "But I'm afraid. See... A while back,I had a dream that you raped me. It hurt. A lot.You killed me afterwards. Zurine was there, too, watching. That's why I'm afraid. I'm worried that even if it's not rape, it'll still hurt."

"I would never do that. Iwon't hurt you. I promise, if I do hurt you, I'll stop," he assured her. He stood and laid a hand on her shoulder. When he received no reply, he sighed. "You know what? Never mind. If you don't want to, we won't."

"I said I'm afraid. Who said I didn't want to?" she said immediately. She turned and kissed him. "Let's go."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Devin woke up in the middle of the night. He sighed and stroked Kali's head as she lie on top of him, her head in the middle of his chest and still sleeping soundly. This would have been the perfect time to do it painlessly, he knew how deeply she slept, but…

"I can't," he muttered into the night, unheard by anyone. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes to sleep again. He jerked awake a short time later when he heard the door open and close. Fearing it was Kadaj, he sat up slightly and looked towards the door. Zurine stood next to it.

"You disgust me," she whispered. "Sleeping with the enemy… How dare you?"

"You said I could do what I want and kill her when I'm done with her. I'm not done with her yet," he replied. Zurine looked at his arm as it wrapped tighter around Kali's shoulders.

"You're like Kadaj. He slept with Sachiko on a whim."

"I'm not like him."

"Time grows short, mortal," Zurine said quietly. She walked up to the bed. "The time I gain control of the Black and White Materia is not far off. I know where the girl will be taken. We must make haste if we are to get there first."

"I promise, I'll do it tomorrow night."

"No. Time is too thin. Now," she commanded as she drew her dirk, "get out of that bed and give me the girl."

"You'll have to kill both of us if you try it tonight," Devin muttered defiantly. Zurine hesitated. "I'm your meat shield, right? If they go for you, I get sent to stop them. If you lose me, you lose yourself."

"Step aside, mortal," Zurine demanded. "You may be my meat shield, but with her out of the way, they will be powerless to stop me."

"Who do you think they'll go after when she's dead? Everything will be ruined. There's safety and strength in numbers."

"Get up. I warned you of what would happen should you sleep with any other."

"I know."

"You owe me this. I found you dead and brought you back. How do you think she would feel about sleeping with the dead? If you loved her, you would spare her that pain."

"You said that she died, too."

"Do you recall what will happen when I win?" she inquired. When he remained silent, she continued. "If she wins, she'll have the power to bring back three people from the dead. If we win, we can bring back _anyone_. The world will have no population. We will be able to resurrect anyone, to choose who shall repopulate the Planet and who will remain dead. If she dies, we can bring her back later, if that is what you wish. Or, should you decide otherwise, you will be ruler with me. You have twenty-four hours to decide."

"Wait," Devin snapped. It was too late. Zurine was already sprouting her wings and flying out the window. Kali shivered from the cool night air. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Devin. She gave him a sideways look at his paleness. He pushed her off and closed the window. He laid back down and stared at her in the eye, tears filling his own. He took her hand.

"You okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he forced a smile and kissed her.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali, are you sure about this?" Kadaj asked nervously. His sister stared at the Chocobo somewhat apprehensively. He threw his neck around as the more experienced jockeys attempted to put the equipment on. Sadly, they were being unsuccessful. She turned at a laugh behind her.

"Nice day for a race, eh?" Reeve laughed. Rude and Cid glared at him threateningly as Kadaj and Devin got Kali ready.

"You be careful," Devin demanded. She nodded.

"Of course."

"These races can get pretty vicious. If it gets too tough, just quit, okay?" Kadaj told her. Kali rolled her eyes.

"I'll be fine. Relax," she assured them as the registration woman came in.

"Who's the jockey that will be riding on Albus?" she asked. Kali raised her hand.

"Very well. Please, remove your coat. Thank you," she said as Kali handed her coat to Kadaj. "Now, you will be number six in the race..."

"That's good. Six is on the inside of the track. You'll be able to hug the inner curve at the beginning," Kadaj explained.

"…And you'll be racing the long course…"

"Tough, but you'll be okay," Kadaj whispered.

"… And you'll be racing class 'S.'"

"Shit," Kadaj muttered. "That's the highest class of Chocobo racing. You'll be in trouble if you don't take control early on."

"Would everyone please leave, the jockey must prepare for the race," the woman requested. Kadaj and Reeve held back a moment.

"You planned this, didn't you?" Kali asked Reeve.

"Not quite. I honestly had no clue it was an 'S' rank Chocobo. When I found out, I requested that you be number six so you would have a slight advantage. I didn't want you to be beaten too bad," he winked. "You know, for Sephiroth's kid, you aren't half bad. Good luck, kid."

"Thanks."

"Be careful," Kadaj ordered again.

"Yes," Kali nodded. She watched as Kadaj disappeared behind the door.

"All jockeys please mount your Chocobos. The next 'S' class race will begin in two minutes. Repeat: All jockeys mount your Chocobos, the next 'S' class race will begin in two minutes."

Kali took a deep breath and pulled out the Tantal Greens Rude had given her. She walked up to Albus and handed them to him. He gobbled them up while Kali climbed on. She shook as she led the Chocobo to the gate. As she took her place, the other jockeys laughed at her. It was easy to see why; Albus was walking like a drunk and Kali was shaking almost to the point of falling off, as well as the only woman. She glanced up at the crowd and saw her friends watching her. Kali focused on the track and clenched her hands into fists as she gripped the reins. The bird squawked as she accidentally dug her feet into his sides.

"Sorry," she whispered soothingly. It looked back at her and their eyes met for a moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's 'S' class Chocobo race! Chocobo number one will be ridden by Sunil! Chocobo number two will be ridden by Hari! Chocobo number three will be ridden by Roy! Chocobo number…"

_Oh, hurry up so I can get off of here!_ Kali thought.

"… Huang! Chocobo number five will be ridden by Li!" the voice said over the intercom. Kali noticed it was black, one of the strongest Chocobos ever bred according to Cid. "And Chocobo number six will be ridden by Kali! Racers, take your positions!"

"Will she be okay?" Devin asked nervously. Rude nodded.

"She'll be fine."

"On your marks…"

"She has her father's blood."

"…Get set…"

"Kali has the best chance out of all of us."

"Go!"

"And yet, she's not going," Kadaj gasped. Indeed, she was still sitting at the starting gate, Albus preparing to take a nap.

To be continued…

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Yay, update! Um… can't think of anything to say, so… reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Well, I'm sorry you had a bad vacation… and I'm sorry Nanashi isn't in this chapter... and I hope you enjoyed it anyway. ((smile))

**Ryu the Youkai:** See, I wouldn't trust a Tonberry with a knife. Or a lantern (my luck is it would catch everything on fire with it). But an attack Tonberry would be cool. And I haven't gotten to 100 level dungeon/labyrinth in X2, but I've battled them in the part where you go to the place off of Mi'ihen Highroad or whatever it is. You know, when you have to battle all the monsters off of where Operation Mi'ihen was in X? But Pradipa won't remain an actual Tonberry for much longer…

**Merielle:** Hey, where were you? Actually, all of the characters are pretty unlucky in their own ways. Sachiko has the Materia, yes. Nanashi is trying to protect the Planet, yes. Zurine does _not_ want to rule the world. I know I said it earlier that she did, but she doesn't want to in the way you're probably thinking. And Devin isn't an 'escaped' soul exactly, but this chapter explained it. And Pradipa is SO cute! If you want, I can send you a picture of him with the shotgun from when they were in the Hitomi HQ. The gun sucks cuz I wasn't looking at a pic of one when I drew it, but you can tell what it is.

**Maria:** I wanna read! What's your penname going to be? What fiction are you going to write? As for this fic, there are at least 10 more chapters, though most likely many more. And I don't mind if you don't review for some chapters. I don't mind not getting reviews. I know I bitch about not getting many reviews sometimes, but it's always sarcastic or joking. I do that a lot.

**Mediciner:** I guess you liked this chapter, then. Chocobo love! Moombas are cute, I must say, but I like Chocobo, moogles, and Tonberrys. Not in that order. But battling TB's is a HUGE pain in the ass, I must agree. She's not going to use Sachiko (on the contrary, she wants her dead… CRAP! Ignore the last note…), but she will summon Meteor AND Holy at the same time. Oh, and… ONE MORE LOVE SCENE! I SWEAR! Sorry, I'm spazing right now. And hyper. Very hyper. Even though it's 10:30 at night.

**NM:** Oh, two more notes: First of all… (long pause) okay, I don't remember the first one, so on to 2. I'm thinking of starting yet another story, but NOT on this site! If anyone saw the show 'Dragons are Coming' on Animal Planet a couple of weekends ago, you'll like mine. It's a spin-off of that, about scientists who are trying to determine what UFOs really are, and discover dragons are the source! Anyway, I have part of Chapter 1 written, and will let you know when it's up on fictionpress. I'll also let you know my penname; it'll be Japanese instead of Ninja Mage. Unless anyone knows the Japanese equivalent. Anyone? Oh, number one was this: read my poems, please! The first one will give away a future event (read it if you don't mind a spoiler), but I think you'll be safe with the second.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE


	26. Gambling With Lives Part 2

****

Chapter 26

Gambling With Lives Part 2

"On your marks…"

"She has her father's blood."

"…Get set…"

"Kali has the best chance out of all of us."

"Go!"

"And yet, she's not going," Kadaj gasped. Indeed, she was still sitting at the starting gate, Albus preparing to take a nap.

"You fucking bird, get UP!" Kali yelled. She dug her feet into his sides, but it was no use. He closed his eyes and Kali felt fury rise in her breast. In the crowd, Cid watched the screen that showed the other birds.

"They're way ahead," he muttered. As he spoke, Kali gave the bird a swift kick in the side and, after a loud squawk, began running.

"Come on," she whispered gently. "I'm sorry I kicked you. Please, go faster. Catch up to them."

Albus glanced up at her as he ran through the track. Ahead, Kali could see the other racer's rears. She closed her eyes and felt the air blow her hair around her face. They came around a curve as she opened her eyes. She smiled after listening to the Chocobo's silent cries.

"I promise, if you win this race for me, I'll make sure you get released into the wild," she whispered. "Whoa!"

The bird ran even faster. Kali started laughing as the wind nearly blew her off and the other birds came into her full view. There was only one bird missing as Albus and Kali blew past the other racers.

"Wait…" Rude muttered. He stared at the screen. "Where's Li? His Chocobo isn't on the map."

"Huh?" Kadaj gasped. Rude was right. There was no sign of the black Chocobo.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

The registration woman walked into the stables. She turned at a muffled yell in one of the stalls and gasped.

"Mm!" the jockey yelled. His mouth was gagged with a piece of black cloth and he was stripped of his racing gear except for the sensor that told where the racer was on the track.

"Li! What happened?" the woman yelled. She helped him up. "If you're here, then who's…?"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali pushed Albus hard, but there was no sign of Li. Finally, she came around the corner and saw the black Chocobo.

"Albus, you can do it. Pass him, and the race is ours," she whispered soothingly. Albus seemed to nod as he went even faster.

"She's catching up!" Devin said excitedly, watching as the two came around the corner and within sight of the crowd that had gathered. They watched as the birds became neck and neck, but Devin's heart sank as he realized who was controlling the black bird.

"You," Kali gasped as she looked into the jockey's face. Zurine smiled and tried to slam into her with her bird.

"You'll lose this race, girl, along with your life."

"No. I'll never lose," Kali replied.

She begged Albus to go faster, to get to the line first, but he was growing tired. Fortunately, their opponent was growing tired as well. They struggled to stay ahead of each other. Finally, the finish line in sight, Kali pushed ahead. The line was only a few hundred yards away… now one hundred… now fifty… now within twenty feet…

She screamed as she fell over. The black bird had pecked a deep gash into her side and upper back. Kali lie on the ground crying and bleeding while Zurine crossed the finish line. She laughed at Kali as several security guards came up and grabbed her by the arms. Kali looked up at Albus, who had also been hit. His feathers were stained red, and his sides weren't moving. Kali muttered an almost silent apology. She blacked out as Zurine grew furious and four Chocobos ran at her. She only heard three things before going under.

"Zurine, you bitch!" Devin yelled.

"Kali!" the others screamed.

_I lost…_ she thought miserably.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Wake up. Please, Kal, wake up," Devin begged. He held her while the doctor left them in the hospital room. He had said that she might not awaken anytime soon, as she had hit her head hard, but he refused to listen.

"She'll wake soon," Kadaj muttered, staring into his sister's unconscious face. "She has to. Her job here isn't finished."

"Her job?" Cid repeated. Kadaj nodded slowly.

"If she dies, we're all doomed."

"What does she have to do here?" Rude asked.

"I'm really not completely sure. She knows better than I do," Kadaj admitted. He looked up as Devin laid Kali back down and walked out of the room. He rubbed the burn across his chest as he watched Devin disappear.

Zurine had unleashed a massive amount of energy on everyone who tried to take her hostage. The birds and men in the immediate vicinity had been turned to ash. Fortunately, the small band was just out of range and only suffered burns. Kadaj turned back to Kali and held her. He bowed his head and closed his eyes as Kali slept on. A few moments later, the head of Gold Saucer came in.

"That sure was something," she said. They glanced at her. She was wearing a pair of shorts that were barely as long as Yuffie's and had on a leather vest that was unzipped just above her breasts. Her black hair was cut short and she was very muscular.

"Who are you?" Cid asked.

"Sisu. Dio's daughter," Reeve answered for her. "He died a few years ago. She took over for him."

"Thanks Reeve. You've always been our best and most loyal patron," she smiled. "I came to tell her congratulations on her win."

"Her win? She didn't even make it within a foot of the finish line. How could she have won?" Kadaj whispered bitterly.

"You see, the jockey that rode in on the black Chocobo was not the owner of the bird, nor was she asked to ride it by the owner. She was immediately disqualified. All of the other jockeys died in the blast."

"What's the prize?" Rude whispered.

"Fifty thousand gil," she announced proudly. "Not many jockeys can ride a race like she did."

"If she dies, who gets the money?" Cid asked. Kadaj snapped.

"She's dying and all you care about is who gets her money?" he yelled. He shook angrily. "How can you say that? If she dies, we're all dead anyway, so what does it matter who gets it?"

"I'm sorry," Cid shrugged.  
"Fuck you, Cid. I don't want to hear it," Kadaj growled. He stared at Kali as she slept on.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

".pue kaw ilaK"

"Let's not start this again. I'm trying, but I can't."

".neh tem ocsa hemi tehT .lle wyr eV"

"What time?"

"… yro tsym rae hotu oyroF"

Kali suddenly found herself in the middle of a bustling yet primitive looking city. A cart came rumbling down the street and went right through her. After a few moments, she watched as a woman in white battle garb walked into the crowd. He hair was short and black. She seemed to be either pregnant or just fat, as her cloak protruded slightly in the front. Following- no, chasing her was a figure in black battle clothes. She had black and silver hair down to her shoulders and grey eyes. Clutched in one hand was a large sword. In the other, she held a small vial. The woman in white had a katana in one hand and a thin dirk in the other.

"Halt!" the second woman yelled. The white kept going. A moment later, Kali found herself in a small canyon. The white woman was trapped in a small crevice.

"Stop there-" the white woman began, but her voice sounded like static as she said the name. The woman in black froze. Kali could see now what had been under the cloak. Clutched in the woman's arms were two small toddlers, a boy and a girl. She held the dirk over their throats. The children cried, their voices static at first, then bawling.

"- Please, help us!" they cried. They were elegantly dressed, thus telling Kali that they must have been royal children.

"Thief, return the children of thy emperor. Thou shall be killed quickly if thee surrenders."

"Nay, guard of our fathers. The young blood shall remain with me."

"Will thou disobey thy king, he who hast given thou food and shelter?"

"Ay, I disobey," the white woman replied. "The children shall be a sacrifice for the planet. Will thou dare to anger the gods?"

"Thou hast angered the god that matters," the guard replied. She pulled the stopper off of the vial and flung a few drops at the white woman. She screamed as acid hit her hand holding the dirk. As the children tried to run, the injured woman lashed out with her katana and struck them across their backs. Kali started crying as they bled nearly to death in front of her. The white woman scooped them up and ran before the other could grab them. Blackness took over.

".ef ilreh rofde rae fehS .ret aws' gni kru onin osi op gnit tu prof del feh staht dei dIret fatu odnu ofI .d'l'ro weh tot meh tecif irca sot del fehS .sniw tesoh t'mi herob d'nam erahs' relu reht fotra pasas wehs …ret altu odnu ofI .nerd lihc ehtko ot enuriZ .ror epme arteC eh trof'd ra ugA .ebo t'de su Iohw sis ihT"

"How did you die? Why did they sound like static?"

".puek awote mocsa hemi tehT .ret alde idIw ohu oywoh slli wI .ema nymt onwon kIyh w'si tah tsalA"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj…" Kali moaned. She blinked blearily as she became aware of her surroundings. He opened his eyes and spilt stray tears onto her face.

"Thank god," he whispered, holding her close. "We were worried that you had…"

"Not yet," she muttered. Reeve walked over.

"Maybe we shouldn't go through with the next test."

"What was it?" she asked.

"They have a battle arena here. I was going to have you fight your way through it. One set contains eight rounds. It starts off easy, but you have a handicap each time and the monsters get tougher as you go. Do you feel up to it?"

"Yes," she said immediately. She felt Kadaj stiffen next to her. "I'll be fine. The battles aren't to the death, or so I hope, and I need the practice."

"Tonight then? Do you think you'll be okay?" Reeve asked.

"Make it tomorrow. I'm too drained now," Kali sighed. She laid her head against her brother's stomach and half listened to them explain what had happened. Rude laid the bag of gil in front of her and smiled.

"Shall we take her back to her room now?"

"Huh?" Kadaj asked. Cid pointed at her.

"I think she's asleep."

"I guess so. I'll take her up. Meet up in the bar?"

"Sure," Rude nodded.

"I'll go, but I'm not drinking," Cid added as he rubbed his chest.

"I need a good drink after earlier," Reeve agreed.

"Be down in a few," Kadaj called as they left. He picked up his sister gently and carried her from the medical center to her room.

"Where am I?" Kali whispered as Kadaj laid her on her bed. Kadaj sat next to her and held her hand.

"I just brought you to your room. You feeling okay?"

"I'll be fine later. Kadaj?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for everything."

"I think we should be thanking dad."

"Daddy?" Kali whispered. Her eyes closed as Kadaj nodded.

"After Vincent brought his body here, I thought I was alone. Even before that, after he disappeared in Nibelheim, I felt the same. Now I know what love feels like. I have you and Sachiko. If we ever get her out of the Hitomi clutches, I might even know what having a child's love is like."

"But what did daddy do for me?"

"He had me first. That way, you wouldn't be alone if anything happened to your mother or him. That's what I think, at least."

"Kadaj? Would you please leave? I need to sleep," she said quietly. Kadaj smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll be in the bar with the others for awhile, then I'll be in my room if you need me. Get some rest."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you, too," he called over his shoulder. Kadaj disappeared behind the door a moment later.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You could have killed her," Devin said shakily. Zurine stood by the door and glared at him.

"You shouldn't have slept with the girl in the first place. You've been forgetting your job," she said angrily. "Do you want the collar back on?"

"No. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."

"You're a fool, mortal," Zurine hissed. "Do you really wish to give up your life for what you call love?"

"I'm afraid to, but I will," he replied defiantly. Zurine walked up to him and shoved him onto the bed.

"Love is weak. It fades with death or separation. It is an emotion. It's not a thing you can feel or taste or see or smell. Only physical notions are worth fighting for. Purity… that is the greatest and only nonphysical thing to fight for."

"You took mine," he muttered, still on his back on the bed. "A week after you brought me back, you took my purity away."

"And what do you think the Cetra emperor did to me?" she asked, raising a white-booted foot to his chest. He winced at the pressure she applied. "I was forced into his harem, he took my purity, and made me go through the pain of bringing _two_ lives into the world at once. Why not spread the pain? You cannot have the pain of birth, but we both know someone who can. Someone who had her purity taken only a short time ago."

"Kali," Devin whispered. He started shaking. "And I was the one to take it."

"Yes. You know that it felt good, didn't it?" she smiled knowingly. She rested her chin and arms on her knee. "So exactly how was it? Taking her virginity away, you know? Did it feel nice to feel her from a different direction so to speak?"

"Shut up!" he yelled, covering his ears with his hands. Zurine tore them away and began pacing the room. Devin stared at her as he sat up and felt tears well up. "It did feel good, I admit it. I would never do that to her again. Not like last night."

"Did it hurt at all?"

"No," he whispered. "Her nails scratched me a little, but otherwise no."

"And she felt no pain?"

"I don't think so."

"What do you think the chances are that she could be pregnant?"

"Huh?"

"You don't know the rules here. On your world, was she using birth control?" Zurine asked, bringing her face close. Devin shook his head weakly.

"Madam Sharmila wouldn't allow it. She kept a close eye on us and forbid anyone to engage in…" he swallowed, Zurine's point beginning to sink in.

"Around here, we have no such thing as birth control. After sex, the woman is either pregnant or not, the first being more likely if they're young. Some women say that birth pain isn't that bad, that there are worse. That is a lie. It is the worst pain one can feel. Do you really want to put her through it?"

"We don't know if she is or not," Devin shrugged. "It'll be awhile before we know."

"But are you willing to take that chance?"

"First of all, if she is pregnant, she won't be able to fight. We'll gain time. Secondly, since when are you so concerned about it?"

"You see, even if she doesn't fight us any longer, she will still go through the pain of birth. Women do tend to recover, so after the birth she will eventually be back on her feet and fighting us if we do not move quickly enough. The point is, do you really want her to feel it?" she asked slowly. Devin hesitated before closing his eyes.

"No."

"Then you know what to do," Zurine smiled, handing him the set of daggers she had given him. He took them shakily and walked out of the room. "And mortal?"

"What?"

"Do what you will with her, so long as she is dead by morning. I will return at dawn to get you and check for the body. If you are found out, you know the signal," she called. When Devin was gone, she shut the door and spread her wings. She spoke quietly to the night air as she prepared to take flight out of the window. "As for why I am concerned about what pain she goes through, what does it matter so long as she is killed and my will is done?"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Pradipa lifted his head as the door opened. He sat up from his position on Kali's stomach as Devin walked in.

"What's going on?" the creature asked as Devin picked him up. He threw Pradipa out of the room and shut and locked the door. The Tonberry rubbed his head after bumping it on the opposite wall and listened to the two behind the wood.

Unseen by Pradipa, Devin pulled two sheets from the bedroom's closet. Being careful not to move her too suddenly, he pulled her arms up to the barred headboard. He tied her hands tightly to the bars. He was doing the same to her feet and footboard as she opened her eyes.

"Devin?" she moaned. Kali stared up at him as he sat on her and kissed her like he had the previous night. She shook her head. "I'm hurt. I can't tonight."

"You will," he whispered. It was then that Kali realized that she couldn't move her limbs no matter how hard she tried. She glanced down and saw the dagger clutched in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked fearfully. Pradipa, recognizing the tone as fear, ran down to the bar as fast as his legs could carry him.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You think we should call Yuffie and check up on Reno? It's been a few days," Kadaj pointed out. He drained his beer as Cid answered.

"Yeah, you've got a point. We'll call after the rest of us finish our drinks. Not all of us can drain an entire pint in five minutes, you know."

"You're full of it tonight, Cid," Rude shook his head. He looked up at a scream from the entrance.

"Tonberry!"

"Eek!"

"Don't let it near the knives!"

"Kadaj! Rude! Cid! Help!" Pradipa yelled meekly as he tried to avoid being squashed in the confusion and panic. He leapt into Kadaj's lap and sat on his arm like a bird.

"What's wrong?" he asked nervously as the calming crowd gave them odd looks. "You're supposed to stay in one of our rooms."

"I know. I'm sorry, but it's about Kali."

"What's wrong?" Kadaj asked again, suddenly interested in what this beast had to say.

"I was sleeping when Devin came in. He threw me out of the room and locked the door. I don't know what happened, but I heard her say that she was hurt and she couldn't tonight."

"Couldn't what?" Kadaj pressured as he stood. Pradipa shrugged.

"I don't know, but Devin told her she would. She asked him what he was doing, and she sounded scared. I came here after that. I think… he might be…" Pradipa hesitated.

"Might be what?"

"Raping her."

"Fuck that bastard."

"What are you doing?" Reeve asked as Kadaj shoved Pradipa into his arms. The silver-haired man ran as fast as he could.

"Take him to one of your rooms! Meet me in Kali's!" he called over his shoulder. As he reached the hotel, he stopped in his room and grabbed his sword. A few moments later, he was breaking the lock off of Kali's door while she screamed on the other side.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

(A/N: this next scene will be rather… graphic, let's say, so I advice that ONLY 17 year olds and older or younger readers that are mature (as in watch R rated movies with sex and don't giggle or get embarrassed or anything) read on. Otherwise, read ONLY the paragraph in which Nanashi speaks (I'll put the section in bold lettering), then go to the next page break. This is important, but I think everyone knows what's about to happen. You have been warned.)

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Devin, why are you doing this?" Kali asked again. He only stuck the dagger under her shirt and tore it and her bra open. He took off his own shirt while he explained.

"I'm sorry, Kal," he whispered. "This is something that has to be done. You'll understand shortly, when your soul is in the Lifestream like mine was."

"Your soul was in the Lifestream? What are you talking about?"

Devin didn't reply. She only winced as he undid her pants and pulled them down. He lie on top of her and kissed her roughly. Kali started crying as her dream came flooding back to her. This time, she made her voice work as Devin let off of her mouth.

"Kadaj! Somebody, help me!" she yelled as loud as she could. Devin threw his hand over her mouth, but she bit it in retaliation. "Devin, how could you? We were friends!"

"Exactly. We _were_ friends," he muttered sadly. He kissed her again. Devin suddenly pulled away when she bit his tongue.

"Help! Ah!" she squealed as Devin backhanded her. He laid the knife against her throat.

"I'd hate to cut your beautiful throat sooner than I need to. Shut. Up."

"Devin, let me go, please!" she cried. Kali yelped as he cut her arm open.

"You're getting another one for every time you make a noise unlike what you made last night. Shut the hell up," he hissed. Kali glanced at the dagger and her blood that had just stained it. Her arm became warm with the fresh blood running down it while her face was warm with tears.

"I let you take me last night. This is completely different. Let me up, I beg you!"

"You say you have a job here. If it's not finished yet, then something should happen soon to save you."

"Last night you said that you would never do anything like this to me. What changed? You're so different from when we were on Jahan," she sobbed. "I loved you and I thought you loved me. What's gotten into you?"

"Shut the fuck up!" he yelled suddenly, digging the dagger deep into her arm. She screamed shrilly. "You're making this harder for me. Just stay quiet!"

Kali sobbed loudly and thrashed as Devin continued raping her. She longed to scream, but each time she took a breath, he copied his dream self from nearly one month ago and kissed her roughly. Her nightmare had come true. She finally stopped struggling. Kali only sobbed and let him do it. The dream kept flooding back. She knew what was going to happen when he was finished. She was dead. Her eyes closed and tears slipped out from under the lids. She unwillingly cried aloud after struggling to hold in any vocalizations. As she yelled, Nanashi spoke to her.

"._en ift suje bot'g nio gerau oY .wonth giry awsih nos ieH .g'ni mocsi jadaK .ilaK nod loH_" she whispered. Kali heard a sort of pity in her voice. All at once, she understood the fear she had. She hadn't been very afraid, for she had wanted to do this with Devin for some time (although at the moment she wished it was more like the previous night). Most of the fear, Kali now realized, came from the part of her that was Nanashi.

Devin finally sat up, put on his shirt, and took the dagger tightly. He held it over Kali's bare breast and trembled.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I love you."

Kali sobbed even louder as he brought the knife up. At that moment, Kadaj managed to break the door open and scrambled in. He glared at Devin, who was pulling his pants back up. Devin held the dagger tightly.

"Kadaj, help!" Kali cried. He was next to the bed in two steps and pulling Devin off of the girl while Rude and Cid charged in and began untying the girl. Kadaj shoved Devin against the wall where the window was.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, holding the sword threateningly. "Why is it you can't seem to keep your urges under control around my sister?"

"You can't control it around Sachiko," Devin smiled. Kadaj stared at him.

"That's completely different. You just raped my baby sister. I never raped Sachiko."

"So says you," Devin said, grinning slyly the entire time. He stood on the sill and opened the window. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hold it!" Kadaj yelled, running up to him and holding his weapon ready to strike. Devin smirked and looked to Kali, who was currently clinging to Rude's arm. He blew a kiss to her before he let himself fall backwards. Kadaj ran to the window and looked out as Zurine flew down from the roof of the building and caught the man in midair. He watched them disappear into the night sky.

"Well? Is he dead?" Cid whispered over Kali's gasps.

"Zurine just took off with him. He was working for her the entire time," Kadaj whispered as he approached his sister and stroked her head.

"What are we going to do now?" Rude asked, his face slightly red, as Kali was still mostly uncovered. They all looked to the girl, her purity stripped away and sobbing face buried in Rude's shoulder.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I'm surprised she ever fell asleep," Reeve muttered the next morning. The men had decided to stay up with her, just in case Devin came back to finish the job. Kali was stretched out next to Kadaj in his bed, Pradipa curled up between them. Reeve, Rude, and Cid were seated around the bed to keep a close eye on them. Kali had fallen asleep only about an hour ago.

"You all should get some sleep," Kadaj whispered, glancing out the window. Dawn was breaking, the sky a pale grey higher up and the horizon a pale pink. "I don't think he'll try anything this close to day."

_Beep beep-beep. Beep, beep. Beep-beep. Beep beep-beep._

"That must be Yuffie. I'll put on the speaker this time," Rude said as he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?"

"Hey guys. Everything going okay out there? I haven't heard from any of you in a while," Yuffie said through the phone.

"You haven't heard from me in about fifteen years," Reeve smiled. Yuffie giggled.

"I guess that answers the question of whether you found him."

"How's Reno doing?" Cid asked. Yuffie sighed.

"If anything, he's gotten worse. He's gotten awful quiet lately. Alim hasn't been able to do much else for him. He says that we've done just about all we can," she whispered. Her voice cracked slightly. "What about Kali? She doing okay?"

"Well…" Rude hesitated. The men looked at each other while Yuffie asked what it was.

"Devin raped her last night," Kadaj finally whispered. Yuffie gasped loudly.

"Oh my god! Is she okay?" she nearly screamed. When Kadaj replied that she was upset, Yuffie asked, "But aren't they friends?"

"He was working for Zurine the entire time," Cid explained.

"Zurine?" Yuffie repeated.

"Yeah. The monster that attacked us in the buggy," Rude explained.

"All of you hurry back soon. I don't think Reno has much time and I think you should all be here if he…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish.

"I do want to be there. We're leaving here tonight, so we'll be back in a few days," Rude muttered. "Goodbye."

"See you soon," Yuffie called. She hung up a moment later as Kali slowly opened her eyes.

To be continued…

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Whoa, rape scene! Who here expected him to do that? God, I'm evil… ((insert evil laugh)). Ahem… Review time:

**Kizna1200:** She wasn't too embarrassed, just really pissed off. All the poor bird wanted was to go back to the wild…

**Vampyrevinnie:** Nice name! You don't like Vinny at all, do you? I bet you were sad when he died… Ah, well, everyone was. And I reviewed! I like your fic. Oh, and btw after rereading my review to you, I meant one thousand and two thousand (came up 10 and 20 for some reason).

**Mediciner:** ((hug)) Thanks for reading them! Well, this chapter should have told you whether your ideas were right or not. And you're not alone with the memory thing. I have a poor one myself. As for Pradipa, I finally figured out what his significance is (sort of). But that'll be later on. And I have seen the FF12 Chocobos. WET DODO BIRDS ON CRACK! Or so I've come to call them. Thanks again for reading the poems.

**Merielle:** I'm assuming you meant you wanted the pic, cuz I sent it to you (hope you got it!). Yes, Kali slept with him. But she didn't know he was a traitor; Kadaj was the only one (everyone else trusted Kali's instinct).

**NM:** Wow, this is my first three-part chapter… Cool! Anyway, guess what? Up to 92 reviews! Thank you all for turning this fic into my biggest success (my KH only has 85 and it has 3 more chapters than this and has been around longer). I'll try to think of something special that I can do for you all as a thank you without breaking site rules or anything… after all, it's you guys (readers) that make these fictions possible. As my friend Stephan said in his poetry book dedication, "Dedicated to those who choose to read. Without them, who would choose to write?" So thanks everyone, and let's push for 100 reviews!

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	27. Gambling With Lives Part 3

****

Chapter 27

Gambling With Lives Part 3

"I do want to be there. We're leaving here tonight, so we'll be back in a few days," Rude muttered. "Goodbye."

"See you soon," Yuffie called. She hung up a moment later as Kali slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning," Cid smiled. Kali blinked and, forgetting who she was next to, screamed and sat up straight. Pradipa leapt up and stared at her.

"Kali, it's okay, it's just us," Kadaj assured her. He held her as she cried embarrassedly.

"I'm sorry. I just remembered Devin raping me. I was unable to think about anything else and I thought he was still…"

"I know. It's okay. We're here for you. He didn't come back."

"I should never have let him take me the other night," she muttered. Kadaj pushed her up.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Kali closed her eyes and shuddered. "Kali, did you willingly have sex with him?"

"The night before last, yes," she muttered. Kadaj lowered his eyes and the others looked away. Only Rude kept his eyes on her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded slowly. "Did you like it?"

"Rude!" Kadaj snapped. "I don't think that's a question we should be asking."

"Sorry," he shrugged. "I'm used to talking to Reno about this stuff."

"I did like it," Kali whispered with a smile, resulting in surprised stares from the others. "I loved it. I just wish that the second time, he hadn't been raping me."

"You feel up to the next task?" Reeve asked. Kali nodded.

"Let me get a shower and some food."

"You're sure you feel up to it?" Kadaj asked as he squeezed her shoulders. Kali began to nod weakly, but stopped.

"On second thought, let me get a few more hours of sleep," she said quietly with a yawn.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked. Kali nodded and they lied back down. A moment later, Kadaj was yelling and leaping off the bed. He limped across the room, tears in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Cid called.

"Fucking cramp in my leg," Kadaj moaned. He tried to stop walking, but they watched as his leg went stiff almost immediately. Kali motioned him over.

"Here," she said gently. She knelt next to his leg and began massaging it. "When it feels like it's gone, start walking around the room, okay?"

Kadaj nodded, his face contorted in pain. He pulled his leg away a moment later and limped around the room again. After a few moments, he stood still and waited. His leg stayed where it should have.

"Thanks. Where'd you learn that?" Kadaj asked. Kali's face clouded.

"Devin showed me. Sometimes, I wake up with one in the middle of the night. I would call him and he would do that," she whispered. She yawned loudly. "I think you should go walk around a little while. I'll be fine," she assured him. She curled back up under the blankets.

"I really think one of us should be here just in case Devin comes back," Kadaj argued. Before any more words were spoken, Rude was stretching out next to Kali and placing his glasses on the nightstand.

"I'll stick around. I don't mind," he said softly. Kali glanced up at him as he put his arm around her and closed his eyes. "I need the sleep."

"Okay then. See you two later. We'll either be in the bar or Wonder Square," Reeve called as they left. Rude looked at Kali and the small Tonberry that was curling up between them.

"That wasn't fair."

"What?" Kali muttered as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"What he did to you last night. It wasn't fair to you," Rude said quietly.

"What about the Turks? Didn't you do stuff like that?"

"No. Sure, we lied, kidnapped, stole, cheated, and murdered, but none of us ever raped anyone," he replied. "Kali?"

"Hmm…" she sighed. Kali wrapped up tighter and snuggled up as close as she could. Rude turned slightly red, but he gently squeezed and held her suddenly sleeping form against his side.

"You're so much nicer than Tifa," he muttered. He smiled and fell asleep.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali sat on a bench outside of the Battle Arena, tying her boots. Reeve was speaking with the woman behind the desk while the others walked towards the observation room. Rude approached her as Reeve signed the registration form.

"Kali? Sorry about what I said."

"Huh? When?" she asked as she looked up.

"When you woke up and I asked whether you liked it…" he began. "I shouldn't have asked that."

"No problem," Kali smiled at him. As Reeve motioned to her, she stood and walked towards the stairs.

"Take care of yourself in there," Rude ordered. She nodded and waved her hand as she walked up the short flight of steps. "Kali, wait!"

"What is it?" she called as she turned. Rude came up to her and handed her a small, pink ribbon.

"Tie it in your hair. It will protect you from any status ailments. You know, poison, toad, mini, that sort of stuff."

"Hey, Rude?" she began. He stared into her eyes and her words stuck.

"What is it?" he said when she was silent.

"Thanks," Kali grinned. She hugged him and watched as he joined the rest of the group. _What did he mean by saying I'm nicer than Tifa?_ Kali wondered as she tied her hair up.

"You ready?" Reeve asked. Kali nodded and drew her sword.

"And willing."

"Then go on ahead. We'll be watching," he assured her. "Good luck."

Kali walked in to find herself on a wooden platform with a large circle in the middle. Around the circle, it said 'The Brave Do Not Fear The Grave.' She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and walked forward.

"Will she be okay?" Pradipa asked. Kadaj nodded, but deep down he wasn't so sure. Meanwhile, Kali opened her eyes and readied herself. Out of nowhere, three small stalks of some sort of plant popped up.

"Ha!" Cid smiled. "Razor Weeds. She'll have no problem with this match."

Kali stared at them in disbelief. After a moment, she ran up and cut through all three of them like butter. They all faded in a red cloud. She jumped as a voice sounded through the room.

"Excellent! All three Razor Weeds successfully defeated. Now, watch the spinning wheel," it ordered, "and yell when you want it to stop."

"Um…" Kali watched as a large wheel popped out of the wall and began spinning incredibly fast. She held her breath for a moment. "Now!"

"Oh, shit," Reeve muttered. It landed on a picture of a frog. Kali looked at it sideways as two more monsters popped up. They looked like giant insects. They had long bodies, pincers, and several legs, four of which were on the ground. They twitched their antennae excitedly.

"Ah!" Kali yelled. A cloud formed around her. Her friends held their breath, but released it when the cloud faded. Kali was still there, and no frog was in sight.

"Huh? Why didn't she change?" Kadaj wondered aloud. He looked up at Rude's slight chuckle.

"You aren't very observant today," he smiled. Kadaj looked again and saw the ribbon tied in her hair. He sighed and leaned back.

"Thanks Rude."

Kali held her hands over her head as one of the monsters shot a cloud of green over her. The poison had no effect. The other Kelzmelzer leapt over and slashed at her. She managed to bring her blade up and block it. She ran up to him and sliced his head off, killing it in moments. The other, now nervous, began to tremble. Kali smiled as she leapt up and jammed the sword into his back.

"She looks like father when she does that…" Kadaj muttered. He watched as Kali made the wheel stop on the number thirty.

"Shit, times thirty damage," Cid griped. He and the others flinched as Kali grabbed her chest and fell to her knees. Several cuts opened up on her body and they watched blood start to drip from the wounds Devin had caused. Kali looked up as three black frogs and a woman in a bathing suit popped up.

One frog bravely stepped forth and punched her, but she didn't change like he wanted. The other two frogs began croaking, but once again she refused to change. She sliced through all three of them within one minute and stared at the woman. As she did, the woman blew a kiss and a large, pink heart spun around Kali. She stared at Kali as sweat broke out on her brow. Kali shook with weakness as she reached into her coat. She pulled out a small bottle of potion and drank it quickly. She shuddered violently, but her wounds healed. As they did, she lifted her sword and slashed through the woman. She smiled to herself as the next wheel sprung and spun from the wall.

"Three down, five to go," she muttered. She yelled for the wheel to stop. Once more, it stopped on the toad. In front of her, a red lizard that stood on two legs leapt out and stared at her.

"Vlakorados," Kadaj gasped. "Those take forever to beat."

"She'll be fine. As long as she still has some potions, she'll get through," Cid said, laying a reassuring hand on Kadaj's shoulder. The young man glanced down at the Tonberry in his arms. Pradipa had begun shaking.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" the creature looked up at him and stopped trembling. "I'm fine. I'm just worried about Kali."

"You're sure? You look sweaty," Rude pointed out. Pradipa leapt off of Kadaj's lap and walked away.

"I'm going to go lay down in her room. Tell me how it turns out," he called. He was running on all fours a moment later.

"Hey," Cid smiled as he turned back to the fight, "she's actually doing pretty well."

Indeed, Kali was holding her own against the red reptile. He charged her, but she rolled away easily and made a cut in his side. He came back at her, but she jabbed her sword deep into his chest as he passed. He faded away as Kali pulled the sword back out and returned to her place on the platform. She listened as the voice once more announced her win, but furrowed her brow as it said to make the wheel stop. The voice was normal at first, but then became slower and more ragged.

"What the hell?" Kadaj muttered as he stood. They watched as the lights flickered and finally went out. Behind the glass was the thudding of footsteps. A moment later, Kadaj and the others flinched at the sound of Kali's scream. "Kali!"

"What happened?" Reeve called to the people in the control room. There was no reply. They only heard a loud laugh.

"She's dead, and there's nothing you can do," the voice chuckled. Kadaj trembled angrily.

"No! Zurine, you bitch!" he screamed as he recognized the voice. He ran forward and ran his hand over the window. "Everyone out of the way of the window."

"What are you doing?" Reeve yelled.

"I'm going to break through."

"Wait, let us help!" Cid called. He and Rude stood next to him, took a deep breath, and the three of them ran at the glass. They winced as shards pierced their skin and the shattering hurt their ears. Cid reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight. He waved the beam and it landed on Kali, who crouched in the corner.

"Are you okay?" Kadaj called. Kali nodded, but suddenly flew at him, sword drawn. She flew past and slashed at something behind them. The man she had hit groaned as the two daggers in his hands dropped.

"Devin, leave us alone!" she yelled. Tears streamed down her face as he glared at her from under his hood. She couldn't see it, but he was shedding tears as well.

"My orders are to kill you. I'm sorry," he whispered. He came at her and made to cut, but she leapt away and ran with her friends to the door. They dashed out and ran into Reeve.

"Go!" he called. "I'll hold them off!"

"Reeve, get out of here! This isn't your fight!" Rude snapped. Reeve shook his head.

"It is now. Rude, I'm sorry, but I lied to you. I don't know anything else about Valda or the Hitomi. This is the least I can do to make amends. Now get out of here. I'll try to get out and see you later."

"Goodbye Reeve," Rude nodded. They all waved as they ran off to get their bags. Kali couldn't help shedding a few tears when she listened to the scream behind them.

"What do we do now?" Kali cried as they ran to get their things from the rooms. Kadaj shrugged.

"We run. That's all we can do now," he replied as they reached the hotel. They picked up their things and Pradipa and sprinted for the lift. To their surprise, they arrived with no other trouble. The group locked themselves into the wagon and sat close together while it moved down the cable towards Corel.

"Are you okay?" Rude asked Kali as she shook. She nodded, but rubbed her back at the same time.

"Yes, but I think one of my wounds may have opened again. My back feels wet."

"Let me see," Cid ordered. She pulled her jacket off and let him check her back. "No, you're just sweating. No problem."

"Kali? What happened?" Pradipa asked. Kali quietly explained what happened as they slowly slid down the cable. She gave him a sideways look when she finished.

"What about you? Why did you leave?"

"I felt sick. I still do," the Tonberry muttered. He curled up in the corner of the seats and promptly fell asleep. Kali stared at the floor.

"You look nice like that," Cid said. Kali glanced at him.

"What?"

"Your hair tied back."

"I would rather black or grey, but it keeps my hair out of my eyes. Thank you, Rude," she smiled. He flashed a grin at her before glancing back out the window. Kali noticed the smile fade as he stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"Kali, get down and stay down," he ordered. He pulled his gun from his coat. "Zurine's coming."

"Here," Cid said as he pulled her to the floor. Rude and Kadaj stood ready while Cid held Kali protectively against his chest. She came within range of the gun, Rude aimed, and…

"She's gone," Kadaj muttered. He furrowed his brow. "She flew into the clouds and now she's gone."

"This has to be a- AH!" Cid yelled. He had been leaning against the door with Kali, but now the lift stopped dead and it flew open, spilling the two of them into the atmosphere.

"Kali!" Kadaj screamed. Rude grabbed his coat to keep Kadaj from leaping out with them.

"We'll call and tell a rescue squad that we need help. There's nothing else we can do from here," he said gently as Kadaj started crying.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali closed her eyes as she and Cid fell out of the wagon. She felt Cid's arms loosen and finally let her go completely. Nanashi began speaking.

".mro fe ur tym fot rapek atemt eld nari ahru oyfo tu onob bireh tekaT .em ite nosih temts urtt suJ !uoyev asna cI esa elp ilaK"

_You'd better save us_, Kali thought. She slowly opened her eyes as the wind slapped her face. Glancing down, she saw Cid falling several yards below her, the distance growing greater each second. He had his eyes shut tightly. She glanced back at the stationary lift to see that a small jet was approaching to rescue Kadaj, Rude, and Pradipa. She lifted her arms to her head and tore the ribbon from her hair. It floated down through the air.

".ezi golo paI .ti bat ruh yam sihT"

Indeed, Kali screeched as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder blades. Tears flowed down her cheeks. The pain lasted for ten seconds before it gave way to a dull throb. Kali suddenly felt herself slow down as she fell. Nanashi made her turn so her feet were pointed towards the ground before giving Kali complete control again. She suddenly felt something move behind her. Reaching back, she gave a yelp of surprise as she felt two wings, one of which was leather and the other feathered. She made herself flap them and she rose a few feet before falling again. Kali smiled and turned on her side. The wings caught the air and brought her higher. She soared for a moment before remembering about Cid.

Kali turned her head towards her friend and folded her wings back. She dove swiftly towards the ground and held her arms at her sides. She had to squint for the wind in her eyes, but she managed to reach Cid within seconds. She grabbed him under the arms and began flying up again. As Kali flapped her wings quickly, Cid opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. He stared at the wings. Kali held him closer.

"I'll explain when we're on the ground. Just hold on. Don't let go. I won't let you fall," she said gently.

Kali began to slowly descend. Cid was shaking against her the entire time. He obviously hadn't forgotten that Zurine could fly, too. Kali gently landed and they sat on the ground for a few moments. Their eyes were closed and they were clutching each other tightly when the jet carrying the others landed nearby. Kadaj ran up, but stopped when Kali stood slowly and turned to face them. The three of them and Pradipa stared at her while she rubbed her arms nervously. She couldn't see them, but they were the exact same as her tattoos. Kadaj slowly walked around her and noticed that they _were_ her tattoos. He laid a hand on her shoulder. As he did, Kali began crying. He held her gently while she sobbed.

"I let her do this to me," Kali gasped. "I don't know if it can be reversed."

"It's okay. You saved Cid and yourself. That's all that matters," Rude said quietly. He squeezed her shoulder. As he did, her wings shrank until they were painted once again onto her skin. She pushed away from Kadaj slowly and reached behind her to find them gone.

"I didn't know I could do that," she whispered. Kali shook her head and stared at them. "I guess we'll head back to Junon now."

"Well-" Cid began, but he was interrupted by the beeping of Rude's phone. Rude pulled it out and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said. He moved the phone a few inches away and they could faintly hear Yuffie crying hysterically. "Calm down! What's going on?" he yelled. Kali felt her stomach knot when Rude froze where he was and looked to the ground. His free hand was clenched into a fist. "We'll be there very soon."

"Rude?" Kali whispered as he hung up. He trembled and fell to his knees.

"He can't," he muttered shakily through gritted teeth. He slammed his fist angrily into the ground as Kali knelt next to him.

"What's happened to Reno?"

"He's too far gone to be saved," Rude muttered, struggling to stop his tears from flowing. "Alim said he's going to die shortly, three days if he's lucky."

"We need to get there," Cid said quietly after they had taken a moment to let the news sink in.

"I'm so sorry," Kali muttered. She gently wrapped her arms around Rude and cried, her face against his shoulder. His trembling shoulders a moment later told her that he was doing the same.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Rude griped. They were sitting in a jet that was speeding across the ocean, but the pilot had told them that it would take just over one day to reach the other coast. He shrugged as Rude complained.

"It can, but we run the risk of overheating the engines. We could all blow up," he explained. Rude groaned and sat back. Kali sat on the edge of her seat behind him and massaged his shoulders.

"We'll get there. He won't die. Not yet," she said soothingly. Rude sighed.

"I hope you're right."

"I think he likes her," Cid muttered in a singsong voice to Kadaj. They watched as Rude slowly fell asleep while Kali rubbed his back.

"Rude's only a few years younger than you are. Even if he was interested, I don't think he'd let it show in front of anyone else," Kadaj muttered in reply. He smirked. "I don't want to have to give him the same speech I gave to…" he trailed off and the smiled faded. Cid laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry none of us believed you. Maybe if we had, he wouldn't have…" Cid trailed off as Kadaj shook his head.

"What's done is done. We can't change the past. To be honest, I feel safer having Rude love her than Devin. At least I can trust him not to hurt her," Kadaj whispered. He watched as his sister finally sat back and fell into a deep sleep. "I only wish she was older or he was younger. They do look pretty good together.

"How about you, Cid? Have you got anyone?"

"Not for about seven years," he said softly. "Shera was out on the sea one day. She was going to go to see some friends in Gongaga. Two nights after she left, there was a thunderstorm. I talked to her friend the day she should have arrived. She never got there."

"Shera?" Kadaj repeated. "Do you mean dirty blonde hair and glasses Shera that kept you from going into space before the Meteor incident?" he asked, amazingly in one breath. Cid nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"Did they ever find a body?"

"No," Cid said quietly. He closed his eyes to hold back tears. "They only found a few pieces of the boat she was on. Why?"

"Cid…" Kadaj muttered. He stared at the man. "I have some information that you should know."

"What?" he asked, turning to face him. Kadaj hesitated. "Tell me. What do you know?"

"Shortly before Kali came, I was out in Mideel. I overheard a woman speaking into a radio. She was trying to contact a man named Cid Highwind. She looked exactly like Shera."

"You're sure?" Cid said, suddenly sitting straight up. Kadaj nodded.

"I don't know for sure if it's her, but you never know…"

"Maybe we'll head out there if there's time."

"For your sake, I hope it is her. If not, I apologize for getting our hopes up," Kadaj whispered. Cid nodded.

"Let's just get some sleep," he replied, glancing out at the starry night. Kadaj sighed as his friend fell asleep, leaving him to be the only one awake besides the pilot. He glanced over at Kali as a whistling noise reached his ears. Pradipa was snoring. As Kadaj watched, the Tonberry sat up and took the classic Tonberry attack stance. When he realized that he was awake, Pradipa leaned against the seat and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Kadaj asked. The creature jumped in surprise and stared at him.

"I'm sick. I don't know what's wrong. I've been having these nightmares and I've been coughing and sweating and shaking. My nose feels stopped up."

"I never knew Tonberrys get sick."

"We don't," Pradipa replied solemnly. "That's why I'm so scared."

"Come here," Kadaj commanded. He wrapped up in his seat with the beast. "Can you hold out until we get to Alim? He might help."

"I think so. What if he doesn't help?"

"Then we'll try Sachiko. We'll get you better, Pradipa. I promise," he said softly. The two of them were asleep in a few moments.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Worst. Chapter. Yet. Oh, well. Okay, I REALLY don't like this chapter, but it moves the story along, so I don't really care. Be as brutal as you wish, and don't be surprised if you notice that this comes off and is rewritten. Anyway, on to reviews:

**Vampyrevinnie:** Yep, Devin's one evil son of a gun. But, hey, dramatics are essential to good stories. As for the pregnant cousin thing, I just found out about 2 months ago that my cousin's going to have a baby, too (but she's not in college). And I'm glad I could help start up your story.

**Mediciner:** Yeah, I've noticed many similarities between this and KHFD. Speaking of which, I'm probably not going to finish it. I'm sorry! My mind is just so focused on FF7 lately, what with AC, DOC, and Crisis Core coming out. I might finish KHFD after KH2 comes out and I become obsessed with that again. And psst… Kail is the one inserting music. I'm such a tattler…

**Sayahiei:** Glad I could fill you in, and yes, Devin will die. It'll be awhile, but he will. And I hope your bruises heal quickly!

**NM:** Okay, everyone is asking whether Kali is pregnant. As of this moment, she is NOT pregnant. This might change later, but if it does, she will lose the child (you'll have to wait to see why). She was going to be when I first planned this section, but then I realized, as Mediciner pointed out, that this will sound too much like my KH fic (the hero gave birth to twins), so i decided to scratch that idea. More recently, I thought that I would go ahead and make her pregnant, but then decided against it again since it will conflict with a future event. However, I may have found a way around it, so her pregnant/not pregnant status might change (though the chances are slim). You'll just have to wait and see.

**Kadaj:** Do you really think it's wise to tell people about that? I mean, it kind of gives away what will happen if you tell them what you're planning.

**NM:** I'm going to ignore that… Oh,I need all of your advice. I need to change the genre from 'horror' to something else (I don'tfeel that thi is scary enough for horror). I need each of you to suggest another genre from the list. WhicheverI get more for and actually agree with will be the new genre. If it'sa tie,I'lluse whichever oneI feel is best. Oh, andI have an idea of how to thank ya'll for the reviews (up to 96!). For everyone who reviews thischapter (positive or negative)and has given at least one review previously,I will let you know what it is through email or IM, whichever you prefer, and if youdon't want me to email/IM you, say so in your review(so send those reviews in!).Anyway, I'm hoping the next chapter will be a bit more action packed, including an appearance by Sephiroth, Vincent, possibly Cloud, Aeris, and Rufus, as well as the ghost of Reno from chapter 20. As for this chapter… Will Reno die? Will Rude try to get closer to Kali? What the hell is wrong with Pradipa? Where have Tifa and Marlene been? What has the Hitomi been up to? Is what Kadaj said about Shera true? And will Ninja Mage ever make up her mind whether Kali's pregnant or not? The answers to these questions (well, at least three of them) in the next chapter of _Angel's Child_.

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	28. Lifestream

****

Chapter 28

Lifestream

"Good morning, President Shinra," the man in violet smiled. Valda looked up at his balding head.

"What might be good about it, Frode?" she muttered. His smile faded.

"Ma'am, Doctor Skylar is almost ready to take The Hitomi to the Temple. What about Doctor Alim? Should we go through without him?"

"Yes. He is most likely either dead or helping them," Valda replied. She stood and stared at the report on her desk. Skylar had brought it up to the office earlier, but Valda was hesitant about opening it. The doctor had said that it contained all of the results from their tests of Sachiko since her return, and that there were some interesting things in the most recent one. Valda had learned through her life that interesting news rarely walked hand-in-hand with good news. She turned back to Frode. "And what about Senka and Itzal? I take it they have not returned or called?"

"No, ma'am," Frode shook his head. As he spoke, a young woman followed an older woman into the room. They, too, wore violet suits.

"What is it, Hyun?" the young president inquired. The elder woman turned to the younger.

"Miss President, Skylar wishes to know-"

"_Doctor_ Skylar, Ragna," Hyun interrupted. Ragna smiled embarrassedly and bowed.

"Sorry. Doctor Skylar wishes to know whether you will be joining her on the expeditions."

"I do not know," Valda sighed. She sat again and stared at the folder while she thought for a moment. "I think I will stay."

"Madam?" came a voice from the door. A young man in yet another violet suit came in. "I overheard. Perhaps it would be wise to go with the Doctor. If Kadaj wishes to find Sachiko, he will most likely try to come here and rescue her. He may not know that she will be going to the Temple."

"But I have more guards here, Rein," Valda pointed out.

"President Shinra, I must disagree. Can you not take a group with you? Will there not be guards to protect The Hitomi?"

"We cannot hold enough on _The Highwind_ to protect us both."

"Miss Shinra… you did not see Kadaj when Doctor Alim took Sachiko away. The doctor explained to us over the radio what happened. Kadaj wanted to break the machine that holds her. I fear that if he comes to get her and you are here, he will mean to kill you."

"First of all, you know that I have forbidden anyone to speak her real name. You never know who is listening. Secondly, if Kadaj means to kill me, he will come here, find both of us gone, and still go after the girl. Either way, my life is in danger until his ends."

"It was only a suggestion," Rein muttered. Valda watched him.

"It was a good one. You keep training under Frode. You'll do fine someday. Now, please leave. I have some things I must look over. And Hyun?"

"Yes?"

"Would you please send Doctor Skylar up?"

"Of course," Hyun bowed. As she left, the two people in green ran in.

"Good day, president," the woman panted.

"Senka? Itzal? What are you two doing here?"

"We have found them!" the man, Itzal, gasped. "They are hiding in an old house in Junon. We saw Doctor Alim leave to get some medical supplies. The ninja was in the house with the ex-Turk Reno. We deduced from the supplies that the Doctor bought that Reno has Mako poisoning. The others are returning from Gold Saucer."

"Good. I already told you my orders for when you found them. Now go carry them out," Valda commanded. She looked up as Bao shifted next to her. He had a slight smile on his face. "What?"

He only shook his head as the two spies left. Valda began to slowly break the seal on the folder while Skylar walked in. She shook her head at the President.

"You still haven't opened that, huh?" She walked up and waited for Valda to say something. She looked through each paper and nodded. "Is everything in order?"

"It seems to be," Valda said quietly. She stopped and read the heading of the last page. "Why did you run this test?"

"We thought it might be safe to do so, especially with Kadaj caring for her so much."

"Oh my god…" Valda whispered as she read. She looked up at Zan. "Bring The Hitomi in here. I think she should know. Are you sure this trip is safe?"

"We can waste no time. She has been talking in her sleep about the world ending. We may be able to stop it if we find the Promised Land," Skylar shrugged.

"Yes?" Sachiko whispered as she walked in. Valda immediately noticed that she was trembling and had a pale complexion. Around her teary eyes were dozens of tiny, blood red spots.

"You look ill," Valda said casually. Sachiko nodded.

"I just threw up a few moments ago," she whispered. "What have I been called here for?"

"Sachiko…" Skylar said gently. She laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and spoke quietly. As she spoke, Sachiko laid a hand on her mouth and knelt to her knees, tears of both joy and fear seeping from her lids.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Yuffie?" Rude called into the house. They all dropped their things at the door and ran upstairs, Rude in the lead. He nearly tripped over Yuffie as he reached the top.

"Thank god you're here," she whispered, standing from her seat on the landing. She hugged Rude and let tears fall from her face. "Alim said that Reno has only a short time. Come on. He could go at any time."

"Kali, stay here," Cid ordered as he followed Rude and Yuffie. Kali shook her head, resulting in a worried stare from Kadaj.

"Sis, I don't think you should come."

"I want to. Reno's my friend, too," Kali whispered. She walked past them and they knew then that there was no changing her mind.

When she entered, tears poured from her eyes. Reno was fully dressed and propped up slightly on a couple of pillows. His eyes were slightly open, but he didn't seem to see anything. Yuffie held his hand, but he didn't seem to feel it. His ears were uncovered, yet he couldn't seem to hear Rude speaking softly. Kali laid her coat next to Rude's jacket on the foot of the bed before she sat next to Yuffie.

"Reno?" Rude was whispering. "Can you hear me? Come on, don't give up. Stay with us. Please, stay here."

"He can't hear you," Alim said quietly. They ignored him.

"Reno," Yuffie muttered. She ran her fingers through his flaming hair. "Reno, baby, I love you. I'm so sorry I blamed you for Vincent. I love you."

"Thanks for everything you've done for us," Cid said quietly. "We appreciate it."

"I'm sorry for what I did," Kadaj muttered. "Back then, I wasn't myself. If father hadn't died, I would never have done that. Thanks for everything."

"Reno," Kali said softly. She knelt on the floor next to him and laid a hand on his arm. "You've done so much for me. Thank you so much. I love you, Reno. We all do."

They were silent for a few moments. In the quiet, Rude slid his glasses into his pocket, Yuffie squeezed Reno's hand tightly, and Kali watched his face. Kadaj and Cid only looked on while Alim left. They all jumped as a voice spoke.

"Kali…" Reno whispered weakly. To their surprise, his gaze turned towards where Kali sat. "Run… Shinra is… coming… run…"

"Huh?" Kali gasped quietly. As she did, Reno grimaced slightly. His eyes closed and his face relaxed. Yuffie released his hand as it fell limp. "Reno…"

"No," Rude shook his head while tears started to release themselves again. Kali buried her face in his chest while Yuffie cried into Reno's still one. Cid ran his fingers through his hair and let his tears fall free. Kadaj glanced out the window as he, too, cried.

"Shit," he muttered. "Everyone, down!"

Nobody had time to ask why. The missiles tore through the house and they fell through the newly opened floor. Kali cried out as she fell. She heard a sickening crack as she landed and her head came in contact with a piece of debris. High above, several fighter jets were skimming the obliterated city. One pilot reached for his radio.

"Bahamut One to Hitomi HQ. Target destroyed. Repeat: Target destroyed. No survivors."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hmm…" Kali groaned. She flinched as a sharp pain coursed through her head. She reached back and felt a lump forming. She suddenly remembered what happened in the house and opened her eyes. She saw… green. A whole lot of green. A short distance off, she saw a black lump sprawled on the ground. She watched as Rude, a short distance from the lump, stood slowly and rubbed his head. He looked around and saw that she was awake.

"Are you okay?" he called. Kali slowly nodded and propped herself up on her elbows, wincing as she did.

"I don't know if I can stand," she muttered. "I feel so weak all of a sudden."

"Here," Rude said. He walked shakily over and tried to lift her by the arm, but collapsed next to her. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. He smiled slightly and laid a hand on her back.

"Where are we?" Kali whispered. Rude shrugged as she pushed away. The black lump was Kadaj, who stood and looked relieved to see them.

"Where are Cid and Yuffie?" he asked.

"We're here!" Yuffie called. She and Cid were standing up a few yards away.

"This isn't Junon," Cid said quietly.

"No. It most certainly is not," said a deep voice behind them. They turned to see Sephiroth standing against a tree and watching them. He stood straight, walked forward a few steps, and smiled at Kadaj and Kali. "Hello, my children."

"Daddy!" Kali yelled.

"Dad!" Kadaj smiled. They ran up to him and threw themselves upon him. Sephiroth closed his eyes as he held them by his sides and struggled to not let them topple him.

"I'm thrilled to see you, too," he whispered, resisting tears. Rude, Cid, and Yuffie watched apprehensively. Sephiroth noticed as his children let go. "You can come closer. No harm can come to you from me while you are here. I swear it."

"Where are we?" Yuffie asked. Another voice replied.

"You're in the Lifestream. Kali, I'm surprised you didn't notice," the man said. Kali and Yuffie froze when they saw him.

"Vincent," Yuffie gasped. When he nodded, she ran up to him and imitated Kadaj and Kali. "I thought I'd never see you again. God, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too. But right now we must worry about Reno. Or have you forgotten?" Vincent asked, turning his gaze towards Sephiroth. The silver-haired man smiled sheepishly.

"Can I help it if I've missed my kids?"

"Reno's dead," Rude muttered. "What are we here for? It's too late."

"No, it's not," Sephiroth shook his head. He and Vincent turned. "Follow us and we'll show you."

"Come on," Kali smiled. Rude and Cid held back nervously. She heaved a loud sigh. "He's not going to hurt you, now come on!"

Sephiroth and Vincent led the group through the field that was the Lifestream. They all gazed around at the souls gathered and talking. Everyone that had ever died on the Planet was watching them. Kali grasped her father's hand.

"Scared?" he asked as he glanced down at her. Kali snapped her head up.

"Just a little. I've been here so many times, but never like this."

"Hold on," Vincent said quietly. He stopped and stared at them. "I think we should tell them before they go further."

"Tell us what?" Kadaj said. He stared into his father's eyes.

"Hmm…" Sephiroth sighed. He glanced at Vincent. "You think we should?"

"Yes," Vincent nodded. Sephiroth rubbed his neck as he turned back to them.

"The reason you've never been here like this is…" he paused and watched his children. "Those missiles were from Valda. She spied on you and sent them to kill you. She succeeded."

"What?" Yuffie gasped. She shook and stared at Vincent. "As much as I want to be with you, I don't want to die."

"You aren't going to stay that way, or so we hope," Vincent assured her. She didn't look too sure. He hugged her. "I promise, we'll send you back. You must go back, or else we'll all disappear."

"What do you mean?" Cid asked.

"We will explain later," Sephiroth said. "Now I think we should go take care of Reno."

"Where is he?" Kali asked. Sephiroth smiled and walked away. They followed him until he came to a large tree on the top of a hill. Sitting unconscious at the base between two roots was Reno.

"Reno!" Yuffie yelled. They all ran up and watched him. "Wake up!"

"Get your ass up!" Rude snapped as he shook him. When he received no reply, Rude struck Reno across the face.

"Rude, stop! As hard as you hit, there's no way he's going to get up after that!" Yuffie snapped. "Reno, please, wake up."

"He won't wake," Vincent said softly. They stared at him. "His body is being taken over."

"By who?" Kali snapped.

"Each person has two souls. There is one that has complete control. The other is what the living might call a conscience, but other souls call it a shadow of the real one. If nothing happens to the master soul, the shadow dies when the body does, hence why there isn't two of each person here," Sephiroth explained. "However, if anything happens to the master soul, the shadow takes over. The consequences vary, but the person tends to be unable to function like he did before. Sometimes the person goes mad, others, though rare, are pretty much normal."

"So his body is being taken over by the shadow?" Kadaj asked. His father nodded. "But how can a soul be harmed?"

"Mako poisoning," Vincent said. "Even Cloud's soul was injured when he had it. He was one of the few whose shadow kept his body functioning normally."

"It can also happen if the controlling soul is put under too much stress or pressure," Sephiroth chimed in. His gaze lowered and he laid a hand upon his heart. "It's why I went mad back when I was in Nibelheim. After I discovered the Jenova Project and my potential, my shadow soul became corrupt and pushed my master one out of my body. Cloud didn't know it, but when I came back fifteen years ago, my master soul had taken over once again. That's why I fell in love with your mother instead of killing her," he added, glancing at Kali. "If my shadow had control, you might not be here. If you were, you would probably have been the child of rape."

"What about Reno?" Rude pressed. "What will his shadow do to him?"

"His shadow will take complete control," Vincent explained. "After his normal soul is pushed out, the new one will make Reno track down anyone he feels has done him wrongly and kill them. Kali and Kadaj, if his shadow takes over, you will be in grave danger."

"But why?" Kali moaned.

"Seventeen years ago," Kadaj began, "when we were trying to bring father back. I wanted to find President Rufus. I didn't know where he was, so we kidnapped Reno, Rude, and Elena and I tortured them until they told me where he was."

"You did?" Kali gasped. She looked up at Rude, who turned back to Reno.

"If you don't believe him, we can show you," Sephiroth said.

They watched as the scene turned to an old house. Chained to a wall were Reno and Rude. Rude was pulling on the chains slowly, resulting in blood pouring from his wrists. Reno was struggling far harder. They turned to see Kadaj standing over a blonde woman lying on a table. She had cuts all over her face and arms and her clothes were torn. She stared up at Kadaj with an angry look on her face.

"I'm never going to tell you where he is," she hissed through gritted teeth. Kadaj smiled in such a way that Kali flinched. Glancing at her father, she saw that he, too, was horrified.

"You will, Elena," Kadaj replied. "If you don't, I'll only kill you and then get his location from the others."

"Elena, fight him!" Reno snapped. She glanced at him.

"It's a bit difficult when my arms and legs are tied down, Reno."

"Now, is he here in Midgar?" Kadaj inquired. Elena remained silent. Kali caught a glance of Rude and watched him look away. She turned back in time to see Kadaj cut open her stomach with his sword. "We've been through each city twice already. Where is the President?"

"Stop hurting her," Reno begged quietly. Kadaj turned to him. The red-haired man was now on his knees, no longer struggling against his bonds. "President Shinra is in Nibelheim. He's not in Midgar."

"Reno!" Rude snapped. Reno refused to look at him. Kadaj smiled.

"So the quiet Turk finally speaks," Kadaj taunted. He picked up a cell phone from a table. "Loz? I got his location. You get the girl. Is Yazoo there? Yazoo, I want you to go search each house around the old headquarters in Midgar."

"No! I told you, he's in Nibelheim!" Reno snapped. Kadaj hung up the phone and stared at him.

"Your eyes say differently. There's no need for you anymore," he smiled. Reno glared at him as he raised his sword over Elena.

"Then let us go! Don't kill her, please!"

"Did you really think that I would just let you go if you told me where he is?" Kadaj said over his shoulder. As he lowered his sword into Elena, Rude finally applied enough force to his bonds and broke free. He tackled Kadaj, but the sword was already lodged in Elena's stomach. Rude ran over to Reno and took his bonds off. Reno untied Elena and ran while Rude slammed his fist into Kadaj's stomach before following him. They ran until they were halfway across town.

"Elena?" Reno muttered as he laid her on the ground. Elena was crying while blood poured from her stomach. "Hold on, we'll get you a doctor."

"No," she muttered. "There's no time. I'm going to die."

"Don't say that!" Reno snapped, but he and Rude both knew she wouldn't make it. Elena held Reno's hand.

"I'm sorry I never loved you," she whispered. She closed her eyes and Kali watched as she stopped breathing. The scene went back to the tree.

"I'm sorry," Kadaj muttered. All eyes were on him. "I'm so sorry."

"What's done is done," Vincent whispered. He was leaning against the tree. "You can't change the past, but you can change the future."

"Huh?" Yuffie looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"We need you to go destroy Reno's shadow. His other isn't dead yet, only terribly weak," Sephiroth explained. He knelt next to the Reno under the tree. "Vincent and I need to stay here and take care of him. You all need to go to the place where souls enter and leave the Lifestream. Your guide will come shortly. In the meantime, feel free to ask anything."

"Daddy," Kali whispered, "who is Zur-"

"Don't say her name," Vincent interrupted. "We don't speak it here. The White Woman is an escaped soul. She figured out how to break free of the Lifestream and manifest the body of a person near death. She has been doing this for thousands of years."

"What are you talking about?" Kadaj gasped. This time, a female voice answered him.

"You see, the White Woman wants the world to become pure. She has been trying for many millennia, but she's only succeeded in making the world start all over," the woman explained. Cid and Yuffie ran up and hugged her.

"Aeris!" they yelled. She smiled softly and knelt with the rest of them.

"Yes, it's me."

"You're Aeris?" Kali whispered. She stared at the woman.

"Thank you for letting Vincent's soul come here. I know it must have been hard," she said softly. "As for the White Woman, she has attempted to purify the world many times. Each time, she was defeated by a young woman sitting here with us," Aeris said slowly. She glanced at Kali. "Unfortunately, Kali was unable to defeat her in time. Meteor and Holy still destroyed the Planet, but it only started over again from the time when the White Woman first died. The world… _rewound_ itself, so to speak."

"So I've been around for thousands of years?" Kali asked. Aeris nodded.

"But you and the White Woman destroyed each other just as Meteor and Holy struck," Vincent added. "She waits for the same time period to come each time the world restarts and then takes the body of another soul. She's not much different from you and Nanashi.

"Each time she tries again, she is stronger and smarter. There are only two people who ever defeated her. You did when she was reincarnated, and Nanashi did when they were both alive. We hope that with the two of you sharing a body, she can be destroyed forever."

"So the Planet has been destroyed before," Rude muttered.

"Is this what the Ancients meant by a cataclysm that caused the Northern Crater?" Cid inquired.

"Yes," Vincent nodded. "She destroyed the Planet only a few years after she died. She had only enough strength to bring Meteor, not Holy. She then discovered how powerful Holy could be if it was made to destroy. It took her until the time period we are in now to be able to gain strength enough to come back. The Planet made Kali be born and grow up on another world so that she would be safe until the time came to destroy the White Woman."

"Who _is_ Nanashi?" Kali asked. "I know I share my body with her, but Rufus had to leave before he could tell me."

"Rufus?" Rude repeated.

"He came to Kadaj and I in a dream. It was when Sachiko was shot. Uh," Kali looked to Aeris. She only smiled.

"I know all that has happened to my daughter. But please, keep her safe from any more misfortunes, for all of our sakes."

"I will. I swear it. Once we get out of here, I'll get her out of the Hitomi's hold," Kadaj promised. His father smiled.

"I'm a bit surprised that you care so much for her. I know you'll take care of each other," Sephiroth whispered.

"I know you will, too," Aeris said softly. She looked behind them. "Here is your guide."

"Nanashi!" Kali exclaimed when she saw her. Nanashi nodded. She was wearing a black tunic with a belt. Her legs were covered by black tights and black boots were on her feet. Otherwise, she looked exactly like Kali with her hair tied back.

"Hello, Kali," she said. Kali and Kadaj stood and bowed.

"Hello to you, too, Nanashi," Kadaj said. The others, who heard Nanashi backwards, sat quietly. Kadaj turned to them. "It's okay. She speaks backwards, but I'll translate if you want."

"Come," Nanashi said. "Reno will be fine until our return. We must make haste."

"Let's go. Daddy, are you sure you can't come?" Kali asked. Sephiroth stood and hugged his daughter.

"You'll be just fine. I love you. Both of you," he said softly. He hugged Kadaj and nodded. "Go on. Reno doesn't have much time before he is gone."

"We'll be back," Cid promised. They followed Nanashi across the fields to another hill. They looked back and could hardly make out the tree.

"Where are we?" Yuffie asked.

"We are where souls come and go," Nanashi said softly. Kadaj translated for them. "Reno should come at anytime. Speak of the devil," she muttered. Indeed, coming up over the hill was Reno.

"I guess I should have gotten here earlier after all," he sighed. He pulled out a tazer and shouldered it. "I have my work cut out for me, don't I?"

"Let Reno go!" Rude snapped. Reno glanced up at him.

"Why are you so worried? You're not the one I'm going to kill," he said, his gaze turning to Kadaj and Kali. "If you want Reno back, come and kill me."

"We'll get him back," Kali hissed. She held her blade ready above her head. Reno smiled.

"If you say so."

Kali ran up and cut at him. He only leapt into the air and laughed. Rude came at him from behind and threw a punch, but, once again, Reno dodged it. Even Yuffie was unable to slice through him. Nanashi stood and watched.

"Nanashi, help!" Kali cried. She blocked a blow from Reno's weapon.

"I am coming," she hissed. They turned to see her glowing slightly. "Kali, stand aside. I shall kill him."

"Wait! Let us get away," Kadaj yelled. They stepped aside, but as Kadaj fled, Reno tripped him and picked up the double-blade. He tried to slam it into Kadaj, but he rolled away.

"Now, Nanashi!" Cid snapped. Nanashi drew her own blade and flew at Reno. Their blades connected and Nanashi pushed him away. She came again, but he spun out of the way and tried to hit her. Kali and the others watched as they twisted and turned to get out of the other's reach.

"Come on! We need to help!" Kali yelled. They ran up and started tearing at Reno. He groaned with each punch thrown at him and screamed with each cut that reached through his skin. Nanashi finally ran past and dug her sword deep into his side. He fell to his knees and stared at her.

"I'm not letting go," he hissed. He stood shakily as blood dripped from his side. He stared up and pointed. "See? The sky is opening to let me out. Now, prepare to run once you are out of here. If I leave your bodies intact to run, that is."

"Wait," said a hoarse voice behind him. He froze and before he could turn, bullets ripped through his chest. He slowly fell to the ground and faded. Behind him, Reno dropped the pistol and stared at them. He flinched as several cuts across his skin dripped blood. "I'm not ready yet."

"Reno!" Kali yelled. He fainted as she watched. Sephiroth, Vincent, and Aeris ran over as Rude caught him.

"We couldn't stop him. For someone so injured, he runs pretty damn fast," Sephiroth panted. He turned to his children. "You did well."

"But I still want to know who Nanashi is and why I share my body," Kali griped. "Do you mind showing us?"

"Of course I will, but it will have to be short. Kali should not see every little detail," she bowed and closed her eyes. They found themselves outside of a small building that resembled a shell. On the ground at the entrance, Kali saw the twins from her last dream. They were both dead. Next to them was Zurine. She was bleeding heavily and panting.

"Why do thou kill me? I have done no wrong," she gasped. Nanashi raised her blade.

"Thou took and murdered the children of the emperor. 'Tis my job to destroy those who anger him," Nanashi replied. She dug her sword into Zurine.

The scene then changed to show Nanashi walking on a deserted road. As she walked towards the palace, a group of men came out of the bushes behind her and dragged her away. Kali flinched as they watched the men tear her clothes off and pass her between them. After they raped her and left her nude, Nanashi picked up her dagger and stabbed herself. Kali lowered her eyes as they went back to the Lifestream.

"That's why I don't know my name. Those that commit suicide do not remember it," Nanashi explained. She looked at Kali. "That's why I was so fearful when Devin raped you."

"Wait," Kali muttered. "Vincent said that _she_ overtook the body of someone near death. Nanashi, did you…?"

"Yes. I finished the job of killing you, and then entered your body. I'm sorry I never told you," Nanashi said quietly. Kali nodded.

"I understand."

"The portal is closing," Aeris said suddenly. They all looked up to see the clouds overhead begin to close. "You all must go now or you will stay dead."

"Thank you, daddy," Kali whispered. She and Kadaj hugged Sephiroth.

"Good luck to both of you," he said softly. "I love you both so much."

"We love you, too," Kadaj muttered. They reluctantly pulled away.

"One more thing," Aeris said. "If you want to find Sachiko, you'll have to go to the ruins of the Ancient Temple. The Hitomi are taking her there to try and speak to me or Tseng."

"Right," Kadaj nodded. "We'll save her. Don't worry."

"Goodbye," Vincent called. The group faded away.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali? You awake?" Cid asked. He shook her gently and smiled when she finally opened her eyes.

"Yeah. Is everyone okay?"

"I think so. Reno hasn't woken up yet, though."

"Pradipa," Kali gasped. "What about him?"

"He's fine. He hid as soon as he heard the jets," Cid assured her. He looked over his shoulder. "Sounds like Reno's coming to. Come on."

Kali sat up immediately and looked around until she saw Reno. Rude and Yuffie were already kneeling next to him as he slowly blinked. Rude smiled and sighed with relief. Yuffie threw herself upon him and laughed before kissing him.

"Thank god you're alive," she gasped.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** This is the longest chapter I've written yet, and it makes up quite nicely for the last one. Anyway… I GOT ME ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! ((Does Numa Numa Dance)) Thanks people! I've already started on the 'Thank you' that I emailed the last reviewers about. Unfortunately, all I've got is one persons head… I would've had more done, but I suddenly came down with a really bad stomach flu Monday night, and for the next 2 days didn't feel much like drawing. I _did_ feel like writing, hence why this chapter is so long (except the fight with Reno… I hate that part, it was supposed to be the main event, but oh, well). Oh, and I also have a deviantart account. The link is in my profile. I only have 2 pics up, but I think you'll like them. One's of Sephy and Kali. The other is Sephy as a pig (in-joke between a friend and I, explained in the pic description). Check it out when you have a chance! Oh, but be warned. My journals might contain spoilers for this fic later on (right now one talks about FLA and the other talks about freshman year and my happiness about having a DA account). So just be warned. Anyway, reviews:

****

**Kizna1200:** No, not cool chapter… but oh, well, since when does my opinion matter? As long as the readers are happy. And thanks for the reply to my email. I'll finish the pic soon. I hope. Actually, if nobody minds stick figures, it can be done tonight and up tomorrow…

**Ryu the Youkai:** Thanks to you, too, for the pic description… thing… Anyway, yeah, I thought more action/adventure, but then I also wasn't sure about suspense or mystery or supernatural or what.

**Sayahiei:** Like I said, I only beat myself about that one chapter. And a couple others. And yes she has wings, but they went bye-bye when she landed… she'll get em back eventually.

**Mediciner:** Hmm… he must have an accomplice or something… Yeah, Pradipa is going to change probably next chapter or the one after that. Hey, if you want wings, I'll give em to you on the pic. They'll suck, but you'll have them (I can't draw wings worth a crap unless they're chibi bat wings).

**NM:** And how about Sachiko? A little twist in the plot… I figured out why I make stuff so easy for the reader to find out. Dramatic irony! You guys know what's going on and going to happen, but the characters don't! It makes things even better when the thing happens and other characters finally know! I dunno… we've been reading _Romeo and Juliet_ and my teacher has been stressing the dramatic irony aspect… I dunno, I think she gets some perverse pleasure from it… ah, well, it works. Don't forget to check out my pics! (the link _should_ be in my profile, though for some reason it's not showing up on my comp… if not, type the url like usual, but instead of 'www' type 'ninja-mage' and that's my page)

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	29. Decisive Days

****

Chapter 29

Decisive Days

A light breeze blew through the destroyed streets of Junon as Rude opened his eyes. He could tell even within the confines of the tent that it was still dark. Sure enough, as he opened the flap, he could scarcely see the dark shapes of the other three tents. Rude lit a cigarette and mulled over the past two days.

Reno woke up just after they came back from the Lifestream, which was all well and good, except they still didn't have any idea where to go. Sachiko was going to the Temple, and Valda had no idea they were still alive. Sure, they could intercept their enemies, but there was no telling which route Valda was going to take. There was also the chance of them being found out if they got to the Temple before her. Even if they did manage to get there before the Hitomi, what could they do? There were sure to be guards, and Kadaj had forbidden Kali from letting Nanashi out unless they were in mortal danger with no other way out. Without Nanashi, they had no hope for survival.

After Reno woke up, the small band dug through the wreckage and managed to find a few tents and supplies. The next two days were filled with fierce debating and heated arguments. Rude glanced up at the sinking moon and could already tell that the next day was going to be no different. He threw the cigarette butt away and crawled back into his tent.

_Why couldn't we have found some for three people and not just two?_ He thought. He wrapped up tightly in his sleeping bag again. Kali was sharing a tent with Kadaj, Reno was sleeping with Yuffie, and Cid and Rude switched off guarding Alim. Cid was 'babysitting' tonight, so Rude had been left alone for the night.

As Rude thought bitterly and tried to sleep, he froze and listened. Somebody was moving around outside of his tent. He closed his eyes, reached a hand under his pillow, and feigned sleep. He didn't even flinch when the person making the noise crept in and sat on his stomach. Under his pillow, his hand wrapped around the cold handle of a dagger he had found in the street. The figure laid a hand next to his head and he listened to the cocking of a pistol. The click had barely sounded when Rude pulled out the dagger and stabbed the figure in the side. He heard a feminine gasp and opened his eyes to see Tifa on top of him, her face scrunched in pain. Rude pulled the dagger out of her and sat up. He held her and watched the blood seep from her wound to stain his white shirt.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. Tifa glanced up. The gun was still in her hand.

"No you're not," she gasped through gritted teeth, although she could clearly see the remorse in his face. He lifted her hand and pointed the gun at his head.

"Shoot me if you want to," he muttered. She shook and for a moment seemed about to pull the trigger. She finally let her hand and the gun fall to the ground.

"I don't have the strength," she replied weakly. Rude grabbed her side where he had stabbed her and the bleeding slowed very little. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and stared up at him. "You really are a bastard, you know."

"I know," Rude smiled. "But I'm a bastard that loves you."

"I know you do. You love that Kali girl, too, don't you?" she whispered accusingly. Rude's smile faded and he hesitated. "Don't bother lying. I can see the look in your eyes when I say her name. Kali."

"Yes, I do," he nodded. Tifa chuckled.

"She's going to die, you know. Someday, you're going to be holding her just like you are me, and she's going to be the one dying."

"I think you're wrong. Where's Marlene?"

"Not here. Tonight was going to be a solo mission of mine. We were going to come and kill you off, one by one, night after night starting now. If I don't return by dawn, she's leaving, so there's no use in trying to follow her."

"I wasn't going to. I wanted to know so that I knew what to expect when I walk out of here."

"What to expect?"

"I didn't know if I should expect to see her with a dagger wound in her, too," Rude muttered bluntly. Tifa closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest.

"At least… I'm going to be with… Cloud again…" she muttered. Rude held her close.

"Tifa?"

"Hmm?"

"Before you die, I want you to kiss me," he said softly. Tifa nodded and he lifted her head to kiss her lips. He pulled away when her hand loosened its grasp on his shirt collar. Without a sound, he lifted her and walked out of his tent to lay her body by the remains of the fire.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali, get up!" Kadaj yelled happily. Kali moaned and opened her eyes. He was smiling broadly as sunlight seeped through the tent flap.

"What is it?"

"Tifa! She's dead!" he said.

"Dead?" Kali gasped. She sat up and followed him out. Sure enough, Tifa's body was lying by their fire pit, her arms crossed and blood forming a pool next to her. Kali looked her up and down. "Who did it?"

"Who cares? One less person to worry about," Reno smiled. He glanced at the camp. "Rude's going to be pissed. Where is he, anyway?"

"I don't know. He's not in his tent," Yuffie explained. She dipped her fingers in the wound and tasted the blood. "I taste metal. She was definitely stabbed, and I'd say she's been dead for at least three hours."

"Hey Kadaj?" Kali muttered. "I'm going to go find Rude. I might know where he is."

"Go ahead. We're going to burn her, so hurry back if you want to watch."

"I'll pass, and I think Rude will, too," she pointed out. Kadaj watched as she walked through the wreckage around their camp and made her way to the ocean.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali walked down the steps and looked around. Just as she suspected, Rude was sitting on a rock overlooking the sea. He was so absorbed in the waves, he jumped a little when Kali laid a hand upon his shoulder.

"Hey," she smiled. Rude looked away and pulled off his glasses.

"Good morning," he replied, rubbing his eyes. Kali pulled his arm away from his face.

"I figured you'd be crying. I won't tell anybody."

"I know you won't. I'm mostly trying to stop for myself."

"You killed her, didn't you?" Kali asked. Rude nodded. It was then that the girl noticed the blood on his shirt. "Give me your shirt and I'll wash it for you."

"Don't bother. I can get more," he whispered. Kali laid her head on his shoulder and followed his gaze at the ocean. She tensed slightly when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and grasped it in return.

"Thank you. I know you love her, but… she was trying to kill us, after all."

"I know, but I wasn't thinking about that. All I was thinking about was your safety."

"Hmm?" Kali glanced up at him, but he shook his head.

"Never mind."

"No, what is it?"

"Vincent made us promise to keep you safe. Now that I know what you're destined to do, I guess…" he trailed off and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I won't let anything stop or hurt you."

"None of you will," she replied. Rude stared at the waves again, refusing to look at her. "Rude?"

"What?"

"What's wrong? Tifa's death isn't the only thing bugging you right now, is it?" Kali asked knowingly. She tried to look at him, but he stood and avoided her eyes. "What is it? Rude, I'm your friend. I want you to tell me anything."

"Here," he said softly. He pulled Tifa's gun from his pocket and handed it to Kali.

"What's this for?"

"I want you to shoot me."

"What? Of course not!" Kali snapped. Before Rude could stop her, Kali was throwing the weapon into the ocean.

"Kali, I want you to kill me."

"Why?" she cried. She wrapped her arms around him. "Why do you want to die?"

"You said you'd kill any of us that tried to leave."

"What? You haven't tried to leave us!" Kali snapped. She stared into his eyes and saw something in them that she hadn't before. Compassion? Love? She couldn't tell, but it gave her the creeps a little. It was like seeing Devin in that dream, only instead of turning from gentle to hard, Rude's went from cold to kind.

"I want to. I'm tired of all the killing," he muttered. He sat down again and watched the clouds on the horizon. "As a Turk, assassinations were a part of life. We killed at least one person a day it seems now. When Shinra fell nineteen years ago, Reno, Elena and I protected Rufus. We didn't kill as often, but we had to fight and do what was necessary to find out any information he wanted or keep him safe. Then he died. Valda's following his footsteps, so there's bound to be more death. Since you've been here, I've seen Vincent, Cloud, Barret, Nanaki, Reno, and now Tifa die. Out of all of them, only Reno's come back. I've watched you alone kill hundreds of men in her army. I just… I can't watch any more death. Enough is enough.

"I want to go back to Wutai. I want to help you, but I can't keep fighting."

"I understand," Kali whispered. Rude finally turned to face her. "I've had to grow up so much since Vincent brought me here. A couple of months ago, I was fifteen. Now I feel like I'm not much younger than you are."

"It wasn't fair of him to bring you here. It's not fair that the souls are calling on you to save the Planet. You're so young," Rude said gently. He brushed a hand against her face.

"The Planet is calling for me to save it, but Vincent didn't force me to come. I wanted to come and see where he and daddy were from. Being the savior of a planet I barely know isn't something I asked for. We can't control our destinies. We can only live them before we die."

"You really have grown up a lot," Rude said. Kali looked up at him before smiling and standing.

"I'm sure they've begun burning Tifa's body by now. We'd better get up there and tell them to get ready to go to Wutai."

"Huh?" Rude gasped. He leapt up and walked with her.

"We're going to take you home. Rude, you're my friend. I'm not letting you go quickly. I'm going to spend as much time with you as I can," Kali said in a final tone. She walked ahead while Rude took slow strides.

"Thank you, Kali," he muttered. "I want to stay with you, but thank you for understanding. I love you, kid."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Sachiko sat silently on the deck of the airship, feeling the breeze rush past her face. She finally wiped her eyes with her tissue and threw it over the edge. She had scarcely stopped crying since they left.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Fire the missiles at will," Valda said into the radio. Sachiko stood a few feet away and listened fearfully. She trembled in the silence that followed. It lasted for nearly five minutes, though they felt more like years. When the pilot came back on the radio, Skylar laid a hand on Sachiko's shoulder.

"Bahamut One to Hitomi HQ. Target destroyed. Repeat: Target destroyed. No survivors."

"Thank you," Valda replied. "Return to base."

"NO!" Sachiko screamed. She dropped to her knees and pounded the ground with her fist. "No! Kadaj isn't dead! You can't kill them! He's hiding, he must be!"

"Sachiko, calm down. You mustn't act this way, what with-" Valda began, but Sachiko screamed at her.

"You're a murderer! How could you? All of this violence is what got your father killed! Do you really want to be like him? You murdered my friends! You killed Kadaj!" she screeched between sobs. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Skylar, take her to the airship. You will take off upon my arrival," Valda commanded. The doctor bowed and pulled Sachiko up.

"I'm not going! You can't make me!"

"Yes, you are," Skylar replied gently. She tried to take her, but Sachiko swung her staff and managed to hit her head. Several guards walked in and dragged the woman away as she screamed curses at Valda. She stopped as she alone heard a light 'ping!' noise on the ground. Nobody noticed the black ball roll under Valda's desk and out her open window.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj," she whispered. She shuddered and let a few tears drip from her eyes. "You're not dead. I don't believe her. You can't be gone."

"You might as well accept it," Skylar called. She walked up through the doorway across the deck and knelt next to the woman.

"I cannot until I speak with the Planet."

"Why don't you speak with it now?"

"I am in too much distress. Everything's happening so fast," she whispered. Skylar sighed and began walking away.

"Even if he was alive, what help do you think he would be? What do you think he would do if he knew?"

"He would be thrilled," Sachiko whispered immediately.

"Kadaj? Thrilled? I suppose you would know better than I, but I will tell you this. There is no love in his black heart. His father is the only person he ever cared about, and the only one he ever will care for. Nothing can change that. Nothing," Skylar called back. Sachiko turned her face towards the direction of the doctor's voice. When the door closed, Sachiko turned to the wind again and laid her hand on her stomach. She smiled softly.

"He's not dead, and he doesn't have a heart of ice. I just know he'll be thrilled when I tell him that I am pregnant."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Wutai?" Yuffie repeated. Rude nodded. "Why there?"

"It's home to me now," he replied. Yuffie glanced at the ground while Kadaj shook his head.

"No. We don't have the time. If you want to go, then go. I'm going after Sachiko," Kadaj said in a final tone.

"All we know is that they're going to the Temple," Kali said softly.

"Yeah, so what's the problem?"

"We don't know how they're going to get there," Cid answered. "They could be going by ship, train and _then_ ship, armored trucks, hell, they could even be riding Chocobos! They have my _Highwind_, they could be taking that. We need to find out. Wait…"

"What?" Reno piped up. Cid thought for a moment and smiled.

"I think we should go to Wutai."

"What?" Kadaj snapped.

"We can go to Wutai, drop Rude off, spend a night, and then go to Rocket Town."

"Another stop?" Kadaj groaned. Cid held up a hand to silence him.

"Let me finish. I have something there that might help us go to both Wutai and the Temple before anything happens to Sachiko," Cid explained.

"What is it?" Kali inquired.

"You'll have to wait and see."

"I'm for it," Rude agreed. Reno and Yuffie both nodded.

"I say we should try anything," Kali nodded. Kadaj hesitated, but nodded his own agreement.

"I'm outnumbered, so why not?"

"Then it's settled. We go to Wutai in the morning," Kali said. Yuffie looked at the sky.

_I'm going home. What will daddy say when he finds out I'm a vampire now? What if we get there during the Leviathan Festival? I can't bear to attend it without Vincent._

"Where should we go to get there?" Reno asked.

"There should be a shipyard just south of here. There's a ship that goes straight to Wutai. We can take that," Yuffie explained. "It's still early. We could go now if you all wanted to."

"How about it?" Reno asked.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get to Sachiko," Kadaj pointed out. "I say we head out now."

"Let's go then!" Kali smiled. She began packing the camp, her friends helping within seconds.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I'm surprised you actually accepted my invitation," a sixteen-year-old Yuffie smiled. Vincent glanced at her before turning back to Cloud. Her smile faded.

"I cannot stay for a terribly long time. I promised Lucrecia I would visit on her birthday. It's two days after tomorrow."

"I'm sure Cid can give you a ride," Cloud pointed out. Yuffie walked away dejectedly. A few hours later, she walked up to Vincent with a bundle of clothes in her arms.

"What are those?" he asked. Yuffie smiled and dropped them in his lap.

"It's your kimono for the celebrations tonight," she explained. He held up the nagajuban and a zori.

"I refuse to wear it," he said. Had Vincent not been immortal and looks could kill, he would have died of the look Yuffie gave him.

"Everybody has to wear it, and that's final. If you need any help putting it on, call me. Oh, and there's a tie-back for your hair, too."

When Vincent walked into the streets in his kimono an hour later, Yuffie and the rest of AVALANCHE scarcely recognized him.

"Hey, is that Vincent?" Cloud asked jokingly. He grabbed his gauntlet. "His gauntlet looks like Vincent's. His eyes are Vincent's.

"Get off me before I unleash Chaos on you," Vincent threatened.

"He even makes threats like Vincent! Ah!" Cloud gasped. Vincent lowered his knee from Cloud's nether regions and turned to Yuffie. She giggled as Cloud gasped for breath.

"Yuffie, may I speak with you after the party?" he whispered. She glanced up at him in surprise and nodded. A few hours later, she walked with him to the edge of town and stood under a cherry tree whose blossoms were falling in the wind.

"What's up?" Yuffie inquired. Vincent stared up at the tree.

"That tree is beautiful with those flowers," he whispered. Yuffie put her hands on her hips.

"Is that all you brought me here for? To tell me how pretty a tree is?" she complained. When he still stared at it, she followed his gaze and dropped her hands. "You know, it really is pretty."

"Here," Vincent muttered. He reached up and pulled a flower from a branch. Yuffie shuddered as he brushed her hair back and placed the flower behind her ear. "You know, there are only two things I can think of that are more beautiful than that tree."

"What?" Yuffie asked. Vincent sat on a bench and watched her. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"Never mind. It's silly," he replied. Yuffie sat next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. To her surprise, he didn't brush her hand away like he usually did.

"Hey, Vincent? I'm sorry," she whispered. "You know, for everything I've said to get you angry or put you down."

"I know you didn't mean any of it," he muttered. "Yuffie?"

"Hmm?"

"One thing I think is more beautiful than that tree is Lucrecia."

"Of course," Yuffie sighed disappointedly. "Vincent, I know it sounds weird but…" she looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I love you. I always have. I know you don't like me, but that doesn't stop my feeling for you."

"Might I finish what I was saying before you jump to conclusions? There's only one other thing I think is more beautiful than a cherry tree," he said softly. Yuffie closed her eyes as he stroked her face. "You."

"Huh?" she gasped. When the ninja opened her eyes, the vampire leaned towards her and kissed her. When the shock wore off, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Yuffie opened her eyes and began crying lightly. She hated those dreams of Vincent. Ever since he died, she dreamed about him. The first was the one she just had, about when he told her he loved her. Then came more dreams, night after night, each one a different event she had experienced with him. After she dreamt about when they broke up and she became engaged to Reno, the cycle started again. Nobody else knew about them. Yuffie shook the grogginess from her head and glanced at Reno lying next to her. He was fast asleep. The woman slid out of bed, pulled a robe over her nightgown, and walked up to the deck. She stared at the stars.

"I miss you Vinny," she muttered. She smiled. "I know you hate that name, but I can't help it. I still love you."

She glanced down at the waves rushing at the sides of the ship. They would arrive in Wutai the day after tomorrow. She closed her eyes and sighed. Her seasickness had finally been outgrown, but she still didn't like ships. She preferred walking or even motorcycles whenever possible. Yuffie jumped at a hand on her shoulder.

"Can't sleep?" Reno whispered. Yuffie glared at him.

"You should be in bed. You're still not completely healed," she urged. She laid a hand on his sliced wrist.

"I'll be fine. I just can't fight if anything happens, that's all," he replied. He closed his eyes. "You have no idea what it was like, having the poison. I was aware of everything around me, but… I couldn't _do_ anything. If I tried to move my arm to hug you, it just twitched if it did anything at all. If I tried to look at something, my eyes went the other way or closed. All these memories came up into my mind. I could see more than that. I actually saw the jets shooting the missiles at us. I sensed that Valda was going to come after us, or Tifa if not her. I don't know which is worse: not knowing something, or knowing something and being unable to tell you."

"Reno," Yuffie muttered. She wrapped her arms around him. "You know, I never left your side. The longest I left you was to take a shower. And you know what? Rude actually cried when Alim told us what you had."

"He did?" Reno gasped in surprised. Yuffie nodded.

"He really cares about you. You're his best friend."

"He's my friend, but… he cried? As in, tears actually came out of his eyes?"

"Yeah. I didn't actually see it, but Kali did. When I saw him afterwards, his eyes were red. We were all so worried about you," Yuffie muttered. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Reno gently held her.

"I know you were. I swear, I'll never try to do anything like that again," he said softly. "I'll live my life to the fullest now. Having one foot in the Lifestream was enough. I don't want the rest of me there yet."

"I don't ever want you there," Yuffie replied. "I want you to live forever with me."

"But… despite my love for you… I don't want to live forever."

"Really?"

"The way I see it, nobody is immortal. Look at Vincent. He was supposed to be alive for all time. Besides, the world is so fucked up, I don't want to see it destroyed," he explained.

"Kali won't let it be destroyed," Yuffie pointed out.

"I'm not talking about Zurine," Reno shook his head. "If people like Valda keep controlling the world, we're going to destroy it ourselves. If Zurine were to wait long enough, she could watch us destroy the world on our own and she wouldn't have to lift a finger."

"Don't say that," she shuddered. "I'm going to live forever. That's not something I want to think about."

"I'm sorry," Reno whispered. He kissed her gently. "I think it's time to head back to bed. It's late."

"You're right," she nodded. They walked across the deck and crawled back into bed, but Yuffie didn't sleep.

"Vincent," she muttered when Reno was asleep. She clutched the cross she had taken from his grave. "I love you. But… I love Reno, too. I wish you were here. If you were, I would be with you, but… You're _not_ here. Not anymore. I'm sorry," she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**"Vincent!" Sephiroth yelled. Vincent looked up from the pool he was staring into. Yuffie's face faded away as Sephiroth approached him.**

**"What?"**

**"You were watching her again, weren't you?"**

**"You used to watch Michiko every chance you got," Vincent retaliated.**

**"That was when we weren't in the middle of a war," Sephiroth groaned. "We need to get into Kali's dream. Sachiko lost the Black Materia. Aeris just found out."**

**"She what?"**

**"In Midgar. They dragged her to the Airship and the Black Materia fell off and rolled out the window. We have to tell Kali," Sephiroth pressed.**

**"I'll go."**

**"We'll both go, but we can't tonight."**

**"Why not?" Vincent asked. Sephiroth rubbed the back of his neck.**

**"She's sleeping uneasily tonight. We must wait until she gets a good night's sleep."**

**"Damn it," Vincent shook his head as Sephiroth smiled.**

**"So, how is Yuffie?"**

**"She's finally moved on," he muttered. He closed his eyes. "She offered to make Reno a vampire, but he refused. She just apologized for turning to him because I'm not there anymore."**

**"I'm sorry," Sephiroth said softly. He began walking away, but Vincent stopped him.**

**"You know what? I think they might have a chance at beating her."**

**"Why is that?"**

**"The future has already been changed."**

**"Huh?" Sephiroth replied. He and Vincent walked towards the tree where Reno had slept.**

**"I did some studying. Each time Kali comes back and kills _her_, something changes subtly. This time, there have been drastic changes. Every other time, she has been forced to let Reno die. Kadaj never fell in love with Sachiko. They never even met, come to think of it. Pradipa was never there. And," Vincent smiled slightly, "Rude never fell in love with your daughter."**

**"He's what?" Sephiroth snapped.**

**"You didn't know?" Vincent asked in surprise. When Sephiroth shook his head, Vincent replied, "Oh, he's very much in love with her. In fact… I took a little glimpse at the future. I didn't see exactly whether it will happen or not, but in Wutai, they're going to sit outside and I think he might try to kiss her."**

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Tifa's dead! Yay! Sorry, I don't like her too much. And poor Rude, having to kill the woman he loves… well, loved longer. Yeah, I know, he's almost 50 years old in this fic and Kali's 15 but… I don't care. I'm just sick like that. And how about Sachiko's pregnancy? That's the only thing stopping Kali from being pregnant… I was gonna have Kal have her kid in the fic, but Sachiko wasn't going to so the timeframes would conflict and… yeah. Not that anyone cares… Reviews:

**Sayahiei:** Yeah, I think it's even more confusing to type her speech forward, but have the others hear it backwards. Have you remembered what you wanted to say? And I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**Foamy:** Aw, happy belated birthday! I'm glad you liked it, and I'm especially glad that I made your birthday a happy one.

**Mediciner:** I swear it's a rule that all English teachers do that… Keep practicing with the wings. Try looking at other peoples drawings for inspiration. Oh, I know. Go to deviantart and check out 'nellylover' and 'infernofoxx.' They draw really good _chibi_ style, which will eventually help with realistic. Or you can study pics of birds. And to get Photoshop, I have some advice: Go to Best Buy and get a Wacom Tablet for the computer. I got mine for one hundred dollars plus tax, and it came with Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint, and another program (can't remember what), all of which are in the box and free (except the part where you pay for the tablet). Believe me, if you want to draw good pics on the comp, GET. A. WACOM. TABLET. It will make life SO much easier (mouse drawing/coloring is fucking hard and damn near impossible to begin with). Just like using a pen and paper, except you don't bend/lean over the paper.

**Mike Chere:** I'm glad you think this is so good. As for Kadaj being a terra elemental… I'm assuming you're talking about in FF7 (I don't know of terra elementals in the game, but then I don't pay attention to elements). I haven't gotten through the Ancient Forest, so I honestly don't know for sure, but I did look up a bestiary of the game and I never saw Kadaj's name. The Kadaj I'm talking about is the man in black with shoulder-length silver hair from Advent Children. Better? Like I said, I haven't gotten through the Forest, so I'm not one hundred percent sure and there could very well be a monster by that name. As for watching a bloody movie… That doesn't help me much. A friend already suggested it, and it didn't really help. But thanks for the advice. To be honest, I like to be able to write battles well, but at the same time I like to leave the battle moves up to the reader's imagination. Actually, I was going to have Vincent die even later on, but I made them go to Midgar too soon (in my opinion). And it's okay about liking violence and stuff like best friends killing each other; I like it too. I just can't write about it. To me, writing out a battle makes it seem too rehearsed and clichéd so to speak.

**NM:** Yay, 29 chapters and one hundred five reviews! Thanks people! Oh, and the pics should be done within a week or two (2 are completely done except color and ink, one's halfway, and I haven't started the other 2 yet). I'll let you know when they're up. Um… can't think of anything else, so…

REVIEW PLEASE!

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	30. The Anjin Tarepis

****

Chapter 30

The Anjin Tarepi-s

"Kali," Pradipa whispered. When she continued to sleep, he gently pushed her shoulder. "Kali. Kali, get up."

"Hmm. What is wrong, Pradipa?" she moaned. She opened her eyes and grew immediately concerned. Pradipa's skin was a pale green, nothing like the forest shade she had known him to have, and his eyes were watery. "Are you okay?"

"I feel very sick. I don't like ships," he moaned. Kali reached up and rubbed his head, only to find it covered in sweat.

"You're feverish," she muttered. Kali sat up and held Pradipa close. "What's wrong with you? You've been so strange lately."

"I don't know. I just feel so sick."

"Come with me," she whispered. She carried Pradipa out of the room, but turned when Kadaj called her back.

"Where are you going?" he hissed as he sat up in the bed. Kali turned and held up Pradipa.

"He's feeling worse. I'm going to take him to Alim. He may know what's wrong."

"You're not going anywhere without me," her brother replied. He crawled out of bed and walked with her down to Alim's room.

"Hey, Cid? Rude? You guys awake?" Kali hissed when they entered. As they walked in, she kicked something on the floor. "Oh! I'm sorry, Rude!"

"It's okay," he replied, rubbing his side where she kicked him. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk to Alim. Pradipa's sick," Kadaj explained. Rude stood and turned on the light, resulting in a furious string of curses from Cid.

"Ah! Who turned on the fucking light? Rude, you bastard! We're trying to get a good fucking night's sleep!"

"Get Alim up. Pradipa needs him. He feels ill," Rude ordered. He stood against the wall while Cid shook the doctor. Kali couldn't help staring at Rude's muscles. It was the first time she had seen him shirtless in weeks. He seemed so strong, but he was so kind…

"What's wrong with the Tonberry?" Alim groaned when he awoke. Kali took her gaze from Rude and sat next to the scientist with Pradipa.

"He's very ill. What's wrong with him?"

"Hmm…" Alim stared at the creature for a moment. "What's not feeling well?"

"My stomach and head hurt. I feel sweaty, I'm shaking even when I'm warm, and I've been having nightmares every night."

"What kinds of nightmares?" the doctor asked as he looked the Tonberry over. He glanced up at the humans. "Could you leave us? It will be a few minutes, and the information my patient gives me is confidential."

"You have twenty minutes before we come back. If anything happens between now and then, you're screwed," Cid warned him. The four of them left while Alim looked Pradipa over.

"Well," Kadaj said as he looked at a clock on the wall, "it's four in the morning. The sun should be rising soon. Shall we go watch it?"

"Oh, I haven't watched the sunrise in ages," Kali sighed. She led the way to the deck. "The last time was before I came here. I got up early on the morning I left to meet Vincent and my mom, and I watched the sunrise with…" she hesitated, "with Devin."

"I'm sorry that he turned on you," Rude said softly. Kali smiled weakly.

"None of you could have done anything to change him. I just… I can't bear having to kill him. He hurt me, but I still love him so much," she muttered. The three men held back as she walked through the door to the deck.

"She's had a rough time," Cid shook his head. Kadaj and Rude nodded.

"I wish we could do something," Kadaj sighed. He ran after his sister, followed closely by Cid and Rude.

"All we can do is support her," Rude added as they walked towards Kali. "Support and love her. Those are the two things we can do most for her."

"You're the last person I would expect to talk about love," Kadaj smirked. Rude's cheeks flushed red for a split second before he turned away and stood next to Kali to watch the sunrise. Kadaj glanced at Cid before joining them. "He's in love. No question."

"Yeah. Hey Kadaj?" Cid whispered. "Since we'll be going to the Temple, and it's not too far out of the way, would you mind if we-"

"Stop in Mideel?" Kadaj finished. He nodded. "Not a problem. But we go to the Temple first," he added. He glanced up at the sound of laughter. Rude and Kali were smiling. "In the meantime, keep an eye on them. I trust them, but after Devin…"

"None of us know exactly who we can trust anymore," Cid muttered. He and Kadaj stood with Rude and Kali and watched the sky turn from a pale grey to hot pink and finally to the little blue that could be seen only in the early morning before the clouds returned.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Alim shrugged. "I examined him thoroughly, but I cannot determine his illness without a lab and medical supplies."

"Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" Kali asked. Her cousin shook his head.

"Until we can get to a hospital or someplace with a good doctor that would be willing to let us use his facilities, we can do nothing more than we have."

"I'll take him back to my room," Kali muttered. She picked up the Tonberry and carried him gently into her room. He shuddered as she laid him on the bed.

"Kali, please don't leave me," he whispered hoarsely. Kali smiled weakly and scratched his head.

"I have to leave for a few minutes to get breakfast. I'll bring you back something and return in a little while, okay? You're going to be fine," she promised. Pradipa curled up and fell asleep. He didn't even move when Kali pulled the blankets around and over him to form a nest. She jumped when Kadaj placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You coming to eat?"

"Yes," she nodded. They walked down to the mess hall. "I need to bring back something for Pradipa. I promised him I would."

"Do you think his stomach's up to it?"

"I think he just needs food is all."

"Kali!" Cid called. He, Rude, Yuffie, and Reno were already seated. Kali and Kadaj sat with them and began explaining Pradipa's situation quietly.

"Sachiko will probably know what's wrong," Yuffie pointed out. Kali watched her take a sip of something that looked suspiciously like blood. "If nothing else, she can ask the Planet. She's part Cetra, so she can do it, right?"

"She should be able to," Kadaj nodded. "Speaking of which, I think we should only spend one night in Wutai. From there, we stop by Rocket Town and get whatever Cid was talking about. Then we go to the Temple and Mideel."

"Why Mideel?" Reno piped up. Cid finished his coffee before he answered.

"You remember Shera? And when she died seven years ago at sea?"

"Yeah, you were pretty messed up for awhile after that," Yuffie nodded.

"Well… Kadaj said that… he thinks he saw her in Mideel. I have a feeling it's someone else, but if there's the slightest chance…" he trailed off.

"But if she's been alive all these years, why would she have been in Mideel? Why hasn't she tried to come back?" Rude inquired.

"I heard her talking into what looked like a homemade radio. She was trying to find Cid Highwind," Kadaj answered.

"That, and ever since the Lifestream destroyed it, there hasn't been much transportation to or from there. She was probably shipwrecked and floated all the way down to Mideel," Cid suggested.

"But how?" Reno shrugged. "Mideel is so far from Gongaga. Wouldn't she have died?"

"Back when Cloud had Mako poisoning and we were looking for him, he managed to get from the Northern Crater all the way down to Mideel. You all know how far _that_ is. If Cloud made it that far, Shera surely could have made it," Cid explained. Reno nodded. Kali opened her mouth to say something, but the P.A. system snapped on and the entire ship fell silent.

"Attention all passengers. Please return to your rooms immediately and lock your doors. Do not panic. Repeat, return to your rooms, lock your doors, and do not panic."

"What's going on?" Kali asked. Kadaj shrugged.

"We stopped moving, that's all I know."

"Come on," Reno urged. "We should all be in one room."

"No," came a voice behind them. One of the crewmen was behind them and looking pale. "They said to go to your own rooms, and they mean it."

"Ugh," Cid groaned. "I guess we'll just hope everything goes well."

The group parted at the door to the diner. Reno and Yuffie walked one way while Rude, Cid, Kali, and Kadaj went the other. When they came the sibling's room, Kali couldn't help noticing the concerned glance Rude gave her. She voiced this to Kadaj when their door was locked.

"We all know what you're going to do," Kadaj pointed out. "He's probably just worried that you'll die before you can. Can you blame him? I mean, Zurine tried to kill you… what, two or three times already? At least?"

"Good point. Ah!" Kali screamed as the ship suddenly bucked to the side. She ran to the window and looked out. There was a large, black airship flying over.

"The Anjin Tarepi," Kadaj groaned when he followed her gaze. "Shit."

"The what?"

"Anjin Tarepi. They're a group of pirates. They keep their airship cloaked until they're ready to attack. Nobody's been able to track down and arrest them. The fact that they speak a completely different language doesn't help, either."

"A different language?"

"Yeah," Kadaj nodded. "It's a modified version of the Cetra language. They aren't of Cetra descent, but they still use it. Now shush. Right now we need to stay down and silent."

Kadaj pulled Kali gently away from the window and knelt next to the bed. He pulled Pradipa off of the bed and laid him in his lap.

"What's wrong?" Pradipa muttered as he realized where he was.

"Nothing. Everything's fine," Kali lied absent-mindedly. The three of them sat there trembling and waiting. Kali's head snapped up as she heard thudding up above them.

"They've boarded the ship," he muttered. They listened to the faint yelling upstairs.

"Uyo og ahtt ywa!"

"Evro reeth! Aevel on tenos nu-rutn-de!"

"On omro si ot eb flet aolen ro laglip-de!"

"Uh," Kali gasped quietly as someone crashed around in the room next door. She curled up even tighter to Kadaj and hid her face in his chest.

"Dopr ti!" an angry voice yelled.

"Anc'ton ew sujt keta a letlit irvenous?" someone else asked meekly.

"On! Uyo nowk thaw Tapacin Sargon ays-de!"

"Seelpa?" the meek pirate pleaded.

"On! Ew noyl keta thaw ew aer-de lelt-de ot dinf. Ew reviteer noyl het rilg, on-gnith lees," the other ordered. Kadaj winced as he listened to the footsteps leave the room and stop in front of theirs. "Od-de uyo oklo ni erhe?"

"Ton eyt."

"Ah!" Kali screamed as someone started banging on the door. Kadaj was standing in a flash and holding his sword ready. Kali leapt onto the bed with Pradipa as the door crashed in and a man dressed in black from head to toe walked in. "A ninja…" Kali muttered.

"Ahtt'si het rilg. Vieg ehr erhe!"

"I don't know what the fuck you're saying, but get the hell out!" Kadaj yelled. He brought the sword down and cut open his shoulder. "Kali, let's go!"

"Right!" she nodded. She pulled her coat on and grabbed her bags and Pradipa. She and Kadaj ran out to find ninjas running in and out of each of the other rooms. Kali jumped three feet in the air when somebody laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just me!" Rude hollered over the noise of the ninjas crashing through the rooms. "We need to leave!"

"Why?" Kali yelled.

"I heard one of them say 'Kali,'" Cid explained. The girl paled. "I think they're looking for you."

"What about Yuffie and Reno?" Kali yelled as they ran.

"Yuffie's a ninja, she'll take care of herself and Reno," Kadaj insisted. They turned a corner to see two-dozen ninjas blocking the corridor. Rude pulled Kali behind him and pointed his gun at the men in black. Alim was trembling next to Kali.

"I'm not ready to die," he muttered. Kali slowly drew Masamune and forced her way past her friends.

"Get back there!" Cid snapped. Kali shook her head and faced the ninjas.

"You all must leave now!" Kali yelled to them. She pointed Masamune at the group before her. "I don't know who sent you, though I do have some idea. I want all of you to leave before I use this sword to slice each of your throats."

"An empty threat," came a voice from the back. The other pirates dispersed and bowed as an older, more muscular one walked through the crowd. This ninja was clothed in black as the others were, but this one had heavier armor and belts hanging off of his body. Each belt contained a variety of weapons, from nunchucks to Shurikens to four katanas on his back. "You are not able to defeat an army of ninjas."

"Bull shit," she snapped. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you so sure?" he replied. Kali couldn't help noticing his accent. It sounded familiar…

"We've killed tougher men than you," she whispered, the lie echoing in her mind. The ninja drew a katana and a collapsible pole. He spun both and held them ready.

"Ti overp," he hissed. He ran at Kali, who held Masamune up in preparation. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to connect with the blade, but he never did. When Kali opened her eyes, Yuffie stood between them.

"Tapacin Sargon. Os cien ot ese uyo ainga."

"Yuffie Kisaragi. I od-de-ton tecpex ot ese uyo erhe."

"Od uyo ayrle kinth uyo anc teba em?"

"Fo ocresu ton. Uyo aer het anjin cinspers. On-dybo anc teba uyo," the man whispered. He laid a hand on Yuffie's face, but she slapped it away.

"I ma ton ruyo cinspers. I ma noyl het cinspers fo Wutai. Own, I tsugegs uyo lal aevel."

"Yuffie?" Kali muttered. The man before them smiled behind the mask.

"On. Uyo aer meco-gin hiwt su," he whispered. He reached into his robes and pulled out a vial.

"Run!" Yuffie yelled. She began to lead them away, but the man threw the vial too quickly. The hall was filled with blue gas. Kali began coughing.

"Help," she gasped weakly. She dropped to her knees. The last thing she saw before becoming unconscious was her friends doing the same.

"Keta emth ot oru hisp."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Where are we?" Kali muttered. She opened her eyes to see her friends sitting up and looking at her. Alim was the only one still unconscious. "What happened?"

"We were captured. Again," Kadaj added. "I think Zurine hired them."

"No shit," Kali rolled her eyes as she sat up. "This is really getting fucking annoying."

"You're telling us," Reno nodded. He looked up at Yuffie, who was looking out a window. "Hey, Yuffie? Kali's up now. Remember your promise."

"Promise?" Kali repeated.

"Yuffie said she'd explain how she knows the Captain of this airship when you wake up," Cid explained. Yuffie closed her eyes.

"I'm descended of these pirates. A few generations back, my great-great-grandmother I believe, grew tired of pillaging. She met her husband in Wutai when they were refueling. They got married and she left the Anjin Tarepi-s. Each leader of Wutai since then was taught the language so our history was never truly forgotten. Captain Sargon is a very distant cousin of mine. I haven't seen him in a few years, and our last meeting didn't go too well."

"How so?" Kadaj asked.

"My ancestor that left them was their queen back then. Each time the leader becomes too elderly to rule or is close to death, they come and beg whoever is ruling Wutai to come and lead. He begged me last time, and I refused. He threatened to destroy Wutai. He keeps insisting that I'm the princess. You see, their leader is usually a woman. However, my ancestor gave birth to a male. His wife had another boy, his wife had my father, and then he finally got me for a daughter. I'm the only blood related woman to this group since my relative that left. They want me to lead them very badly. Basically, they were looking for both of us," she added, turning to Kali. "I think they wanted you for Zurine and me for themselves. As for the rest of you… I don't want to think what may happen."

"We'll be fine," Rude assured her. "As long as you say to keep us alive, they will, right?"

"No. They never let captives live. If they do live, they must stay on this ship for the rest of their lives," Yuffie whispered. She sat on the floor and closed her eyes. "They'll come for us shortly. Until then, get some sleep. Their favorite way to kill captives is to put them into battle against ninjas."

"I'm not giving up," Kali said sternly. She stood and approached the door. It slid open easily when she laid a hand upon it. "See? It isn't that hard to escape."

"Seelpa, er-nima erhe," came a voice from the hall. Kali jumped back and a ninja walked in. "I veha odof orf uyo."

"Kanth-s," Yuffie replied, taking the large platter. She set it gently on the floor and stared at the ninja's eyes. She gently pulled the mask down and gasped. "Shizuka? Si ti uyo?"

"Eys, Yuffie. Who aer uyo?" The girl asked. She and Yuffie hugged, and when they pulled apart, they were both smiling broadly.

"Tegra. Lewl, eroth hant eb-gin a pavtice," she added. The others stared at Yuffie, resulting in her turning to them and smiling sheepishly. "I guess I should explain. Shizuka, sloce het ordo, seelpa."

"Who's that?" Kali asked. Yuffie sat and signaled that Shizuka should do the same. As she sat, Kali took in her slate grey, almond shaped eyes, the stretch of tan skin across her eyes and the paleness from the eyes down. She pulled her mask completely off, thus revealing jet-black hair that came just below her ears, and fiddled with it while Yuffie spoke.

"Shizuka is my best friend. She grew up in the city just south of Wutai, and we played together everyday. When she came of age, she entered the Anjin Terapi-s. She actually was only a few years younger than you, Kali," Yuffie added. "We saw each other the last time Sargon came for me. Shizuka doesn't speak our language, only Cetraneo."

"Cetraneo?" Kadaj repeated.

"Yeah, it's a modern version of Cetra. They've been speaking it ever since Zurine first destroyed the world. Thaw-si het tamtre?" she asked. Shizuka was trembling slightly.

"Uyo ays-de Zurine. Uyo sumt-ton ays ahtt," Shizuka whispered. She turned to Kali. "Hes dens-de su ot keta uyo pavtice. Hes nawt-s ot lilk uyo, Kali."

"Shizuka, seelpa, uyo sumt elph su," Yuffie pleaded. Shizuka stiffened, to which her friend laid a hand on her shoulder. "Seelpa, elph su."

"Yvre lewl," she nodded. She slid her mask over her face. "Noyl eb-asuce uyo aer ym nirfed. Meco. Ew sumt eb lesnit."

Yuffie translated for the others, gathered their bags, and shook Alim. He followed them groggily as they slipped quietly through the hallway. Shizuka led them down a dead-end corridor and pressed a button on the wall. The elevator opened and she ushered them in.

"I'liwl keta uyo ot het cekd. I'liwl olsa sned a blace ot egt uyo ot het rongud."

"She says she'll take us to the deck. Then she'll send a cable for us to slide safely to the ground," Yuffie translated. They stepped onto the deck to see Sargon standing there.

"Hits," Shizuka muttered. Sargon looked up and smiled.

"Shizuka, thaw aer uyo od-gin?" he asked. Shizuka drew a collapsible pole and glared at him.

"Elph-gin ym nirfed-s," she muttered. She stepped on a button on the floor and a cable shot from the side. The group ran to it, grabbed the hooks hanging from it, and hung off the rope as it stuck in the cliff wall of Cosmo Canyon.

"Shizuka, meco hiwt su!" Yuffie yelled. Shizuka's gaze went from her friend to the captain. As he ran at her, she began tightrope walking along the cable. "Come on!" Yuffie yelled to the others. They slid down to the ground, but were only halfway when they felt the rope behind them become lightweight.

"Shit!" Kali screamed. She looked behind her to see that Sargon had slid partway down and cut the rope. She was the first to begin falling as the others grabbed the rope tightly.

"Kali!" Rude yelled. He slid down, grabbed Kali, and gripped the rope end. She clung to him as tightly as she could, her trembling making it hard for him to hold on.

"Rude! Are you okay?" Reno yelled down as they swung towards the cliff. Rude looked up and saw that their lifeline was frayed and his hand was sliding steadily down.

"Kali," he whispered. She looked up at him. "Can you get your wings back?"

"I think so. Let me ask," Kali muttered. She paused and listened to Nanashi. "Nanashi says that I can, but I have to take off my coat."

"Good. Everybody!" he called to them. "My hand is slipping and if I pull myself up, I'm going to drop Kali! We're going to drop to the ground now! We'll be fine! Kali's going to grow her wings back!"

"Hold on!" Kadaj yelled fearfully. "We'll be fine soon!"

"My hand is slipping! If I hit the wall at the angle I'm at now, I'll be crushed!"

"So will we!" Yuffie said back. Rude shook his head.

"I can see the place we'll hit! There's a cave that you all should land in! Kali and I won't!" he called. Kadaj glanced from the cliff face back down at him and nodded. Rude turned to Kali. "Take your coat off and give it to me. I promise, you won't fall."

"Okay," Kali nodded. She struggled, but she managed to pull off her jacket and he took it.

"On three, I'm going to let go, okay? One, t- Ah!" he screamed as his grasp finally slipped. He and Kali fell towards the ground.

"Hold on! Ah!" Kali grabbed Rude's hands and flinched as her wings grew again. When they were fully grown, she pulled Rude close to her and flew towards the ground. She tried to ignore the way he buried his head in her chest, but it was hard. She landed lightly on the ground and slowly let him go. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. You?" he said softly. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, to which he smiled back.

"Where are we? Hmm…" she winced as her wings were sucked into her body.

"This is Cosmo Canyon. You don't remember it? We rode through here when we left Nibelheim."

"I know it now," Kali nodded. She suddenly wiped the back of her hand on her forehead. "It's a bit hot today."

"A little," Rude agreed. He pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around his waist. "Odd. Cosmo Canyon is rarely this warm. I guess I just haven't been here for awhile."

"Let's go find the others," Kali suggested. Rude nodded and they walked towards the cave wall. They only went a few yards before Rude groaned and pulled off his shirt.

"Why is it so fucking hot all of a sudden?" he muttered. Kali stared at him. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she smiled gently. She stopped and sniffed the air. "It smells like rain. There's probably going to be a storm or something."

"A storm?" Rude repeated. Kali nodded, unable to ignore the hint of fright in his voice. "Maybe we should find a cave to stay in tonight and find them when the rain passes."

"Okay. Rude?"

"Yeah?" he replied, beginning to walk towards a small rock formation. Kali hesitated. Rude turned to her. "What?"

"Never mind," she shook her head. Before he could ask again, she was running for the cave, Rude following close behind.

"Kali? Are you okay?" he asked when they stopped in the cave. She nodded and sat down.

"I'm fine. Really," she assured him. He looked down at her before turning to watch the darkening clouds. Kali couldn't help but laugh as Rude jumped at a crash of thunder.

"What are you laughing at?" he snapped. She smirked at him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So I'm afraid of storms. A lot of people are."

"I know. You're just the last person I would've expected."

"Well, you'd be surprised. Ah," he gasped as another loud crash exploded a few miles away. Kali stood, wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. He tensed slightly, but gently wrapped his arms around her in return. "What's that for?"

"No real reason. It's just that you always look so serious and down," she whispered. "It just seems like you need a hug."

"Thanks Kali," he muttered. He started to hold her tighter, but she pulled away and stood at the mouth of the cave, watching the first raindrops fall. She turned back to see him watching her.

"What? Did I sit in something?" she asked, brushing a hand over her bottom as she turned. Rude shook his head.

"No," he said. He smirked. "Just trying to figure out how to turn you from a door to a window."

"Hey!" Kali snapped, hands going to her hips. She pretended to look hurt. "If you wanted to look outside, you could have stood next to me instead of trying to look through me." She smiled, "Or are you too afraid of the big, bad thunderstorm?"

Rude stared at her through his dark lenses and walked up to her. Kali squealed loudly as he tickled her sides.

"No more teasing, okay?" Rude laughed gently. Kali giggled until she was kneeling on the floor, her friend's fingers still running over her sides.

"Okay, okay, just stop tickling me!" she gasped through her laughs. She threw her hand out and it landed on his chest. Rude stopped and Kali stared at the place she had made contact. There was a faded brown outline of what looked like a dragon stretching from one side of his chest to the other. "What's that? A tattoo?"

"Henna, yes," he nodded. He took her hand off of his chest.

"Henna?"

"It's a clay. Paint a design on your body, let it dry, and then pick it off. It stains your skin and can last for weeks."

"Why not just get a regular tattoo?" Kali shrugged. "I did."

"Well… never mind," he shook his head. Kali gave him a sideways look.

"What?"

"No. You'll laugh at me again," Rude smirked slightly. Kali took his hand.

"No I won't."

"I'm not just afraid of storms."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Needles," Rude admitted quietly. He shrugged. "I don't know why. I always have been."

"Then why did you get these?" Kali asked, running a hand over the many earrings covering his ears.

"Reno," he rolled his eyes. He stood and walked to the back of the cave. "When we were still training for the Turks, he dared me to get them. I had already voiced the fact that I wanted them, but was too scared. So one night we went to Seventh Heaven, Reno dared me, got me drunk as hell, and then took me to get them pierced. Didn't feel a thing and hardly remembered it the next day.

"What about you?" he said suddenly. He took his glasses off, sat on the ground, and looked at her. "What are you afraid of?"

"There's only one thing that terrifies me," she muttered. She walked over, sat next to him, and stared into his face. He frowned at the tears in her eyes.

"What?"

"Losing the people that I love," she whispered. Kali wrapped her arms around one of his and leaned against him, eyes closed. Rude stared down at her.

"You're not the only one," he muttered. She glanced up at him and met his eyes. The look she had seen back in Junon was there again. He pulled his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost Reno or Yuffie or Cid. Even Kadaj and especially you."

"Rude? Thank you for everything," she whispered. Kali leaned against his chest and stared at the mouth of the cave. He only smiled at her and held her closer. Kali shivered suddenly a few minutes later.

"What?"

"It's colder in here than out there."

"Here," Rude picked up her jacket and wrapped it around her. He pulled his jacket back on and held her again. He whispered, "We'll find the others in the morning. Go to sleep."

"Hmm…" Kali sighed and curled up as close to him as she could. "Good night."

"Pleasant dreams," he replied. He waited for a few minutes, and when he was sure she was asleep, he kissed her gently on the forehead before preparing to sleep himself. Had he kept his eyes open a moment longer, he would have seen Kali glance up at him in surprise.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Aw… so sweet… For anyone wondering, Rude is not going to have sex with Kali. Oh, and I have some rules for the language. To see them, go to my devart page on my profile and read my journal called "Title-less." And I hate this chapter, except for the end. I kinda like it… Ahem. Reviews:

**Mediciner:** Well, Pradipa's in this one, and he'll be feeling better shortly (I hope).

**Foamy:** I'm glad I caught your interest. I actually liked that chapter, one of the few I actually enjoyed writing.

**Sayahiei:** ((sigh)) You're not like Nanashi. At least, I don't think you are; You're nowhere NEAR as messed up as she is. And you know to come to me whenever you need a friend, okay?

**NM:** Oh, and anyone who hasn't seen it, go to the gamespotwebsite and look up the E3 2005 Advent Children Trailer. It. Kicks. ASS. Oh, and the movie is due out in September. And for fans of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and KH, Captain Jack Sparrow will be making an appearance in KH2. ((celebrates)) Oh, and my pics for those of you that entered the review thingy will hopefully be up within the next week (I only have one more to draw, then I have to scan/color them)

REVIEW!

Signed,  
Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	31. Trust Me

****

Chapter 31

Trust Me

Kali slowly opened her eyes. She was still lying against Rude in the cave. Glancing up, Kali saw that he was asleep, but as thunder continued to faintly roll outside, she knew he wouldn't remain that way for long. She tried to get up, but the moment she started moving away, Rude's hand held her arm firmly and pulled her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" he muttered. She glanced up at him and saw that one eye was half open and staring at her.

"I'm getting up. My back hurts from leaning for so long," she groaned. She stood, stretched, and looked outside. "How long were we asleep?"

"Don't know," he replied. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at the clock. "It's after three in the morning. We were out for awhile."

"I'm never going to go to sleep tomorrow night," Kali muttered. She sat at the mouth of the cave and watched the rain pour over it in sheets. Rude watched her silently.

"What are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"When you beat Zurine. What are you going to do?" he asked again. Kali bit her lip and looked at the ground. Rude approached and sat facing her.

"I haven't really thought about it. I guess…" she hesitated. "I guess I'll go back to Jahan. If I ever find a way back."

"You miss it, don't you?"

"Very much, yes," she whispered. She glanced up at him and was surprised at the look on his face. Disappointment was clearly written upon it. "What's wrong?"

"You know," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed heavily. "Damn, I'm bad at this sort of thing. Um..."

"What?" Kali inquired, giving him a sideways look. Rude avoided her gaze.

"You know, we'd all really like it if you stayed here," he finally whispered. He glanced at her and shrugged slightly. "You'd have more here than on Jahan."

"How do you mean?"

"On Jahan, do you have any really close friends?"

"Not really. Not since Devin raped me. My mother's dead. I really don't have anyone there anymore, come to think of it."

"Here you have Yuffie, Reno, Cid, Sachiko, Kadaj, and me," he reminded her. Kali closed her eyes and nodded.

"But… Sephiroth is my father. The people of this world are still afraid of his memory. How will I be able to live here?" she shook her head. Rude smiled at her in such a way that she had to suppress a shiver.

"I'd be more than happy to help you find a way."

Kali tore her gaze away from him and watched the rain again. She tried to ignore the fact that he was stealing glances at her every few moments. He finally got up and walked back into the cave. The girl sighed with guilty relief. She liked Rude and trusted him, but the way he was acting…

"How about you?" she called as he started to sit down. He turned to her. "When you go back to Wutai, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess I'll just pray every night that you get through this and try to help in any way I can. Send you supplies and stuff, you know? I haven't thought about it much. I was so worried about getting away from the death."

"You know what?" she muttered. She stood and approached him.

"What?" he asked. Kali wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.

"I really want you to stay with us," she said softly. "I'd really like it if you don't go back to Wutai, if you keep helping us."

"I wish I could."

"Why can't you?"

"I told you. I can't stand the death anymore," Rude sighed. He pulled her closer. "I especially can't stand to watch anything happen to you, Lifestream forbid."

"You once said you'd rather be with your loved ones when they die. Why not me?"

"You won't die," he said simply, "so that's not something I have to worry about. I just don't want to watch you get injured again."

"You're my friend. I don't want you to leave. Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

"No," he shook his head and pushed her away, hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry. There's nothing."

He walked away and stretched out on the ground. Kali lay down next to him and wrapped up tightly against his side, wondering how the others were doing.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj stared out from the cave. It wasn't raining as heavily as it had when they swung into the crevice, nor was thunder rumbling or lightning flashing, but the rain was still pouring. He turned and stared at Alim. When they had come, he was slightly too high up on the rope and cracked his head on the top edge of the cave. Presently, he was propped up against the wall, a thick bandage wrapped around his head. He had been unconscious the entire time they were here. He only avoided falling to the ground because Shizuka had managed to grab him as he lost his grip on the rope.

"How is he?" Kadaj asked Yuffie as she unwrapped the bandage to change it. The blood had seeped through all of it. She looked up at Kadaj apologetically.

"I don't think he's going to make it," she said softly. "His skull is partially crushed and he's lost a lot of blood. I looked and I thought I could see his brain," she shuddered. "There's no way he can make it for much longer."

"He hurt us," Kadaj whispered, "but he's still family. I wish there was something we could do."

"There's nothing," Yuffie shook her head. She glanced at him. "How do you think Kali and Rude are doing?"

"I'm sure they're fine," he shrugged. He sighed as he sat and leaned against the wall and stared around. Cid and Reno were fast asleep. Shizuka was wrapped up in a corner, watching him and Yuffie. Pradipa was curled up in one of Kadaj's blankets. "Rude wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"None of us would," she replied as she wrapped a new bandage around Alim's head. She began sucking the blood from the old bandage. She looked up at a gasp from Shizuka. "Thaw?"

"Aer uyo a imprave?" she gasped shakily. Yuffie sighed and nodded slowly.

"Eys, I ma."

"Who olgn?" Shizuka muttered.

"A ewf nothm-s," she replied. Shizuka looked to the rain and said no more.

"I wish I could talk to her," Kadaj muttered. He closed his eyes. "Hell, I wish I could talk to Sachiko."

"Kadaj," Yuffie whispered gently. She laid a hand on his shoulder and sat next to him. "I'm sure she's fine."

"She probably thinks I'm dead," he muttered. "I never should have fucked her."

"Why do you say that?"

"Alim took my sword while we were sleeping. Maybe if we hadn't slept together that night, I could've kept them from taking us. Maybe then, the entire mess with Devin and losing Sachiko would never have happened."

"Don't blame yourself," she whispered gently. "You and Sachiko love each other. There's no shame in making love when you care that deeply for another."

"What about you and Vincent? Did you two ever…?"

"Yes. Every night after I met Kali," Yuffie whispered. She closed her eyes. "Except the last night before he… before he died. He insisted the he was feeling tired and worn out from age and couldn't."

"What about Reno?"

"No," Yuffie shook her head slowly, "not yet. I haven't felt ready for another man in my bed."

"At least nothing came from your sleeping with Vincent," Kadaj muttered. He shook. "The thing about Sachiko… I don't know anything that's happened to her. I don't know if I gave her some disease or hurt her in any way. I don't even know if she's pregnant or not."

"I know. I'm sure she's fine. Don't cry," Yuffie insisted. Tears had started to roll down Kadaj's cheeks and his shoulders were trembling.

"I'm just so worried about her. I'm worried about Kal, too," he said softly, his voice cracking. "I trust Rude, but after Devin…"

"But what?" she asked, giving him a sideways glance. "Kadaj, is Rude trying to get to Kali or something?"

"I don't really know. I know he likes her a lot, probably more than any one of us, but I'm not sure."

"You can trust him. I'm sure he would never do anything to her like what Devin did."

"I just want them back. Kali's my sister. If anything happened to her, I don't know what I'd do. Same with Sachiko. Yuffie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something?" Kadaj asked, lowering his voice. "I haven't told anyone else, and I would appreciate it if you didn't either."

"No problem," Yuffie promised.

"Sachiko…" he swallowed and closed his eyes. "She's the first woman I've ever slept with."

"You're serious?" Yuffie gasped. Kadaj nodded.

"It's not that I didn't want to have sex with anyone, but… Living in exile, every woman was afraid of me. I couldn't go anywhere to find a woman that I really liked without running the risk of meeting Cloud or any of you."

"It's okay," she said gently. She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. About what happened back then, you know? At the time, Sephiroth was still lingering so horribly in our minds."

"I understand. No need to apologize," Kadaj muttered. He yawned. "I should get some sleep. Are you going to?"

"No. I'm going to watch Alim."

"I think you should get some rest," Kadaj insisted. Yuffie nodded as she unwillingly yawned.

"Maybe I will. Shizuka?" she called. The ninja looked up at her. "Liwl uyo kwea su pu ta uns-seri, seelpa?"

"Eys," Shizuka nodded. She stared up at the moon that managed to peek through a small break in the clouds.

"Does she sleep?" Kadaj asked as he laid in his sleeping bag and Yuffie curled up in Reno's.

"They don't have to. They're trained to stay awake for three days without sleep."

"Will Alim be okay without anyone watching him?" Kadaj muttered.

"I think so," Yuffie nodded. She curled up close to Reno and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Kadaj."

"Goodnight, Yuffie," he called. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. The rain stopped right around sunrise. It was at that same moment that Alim unknowingly took his last breath.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"What are you doing?" Kali smiled. Rude was sitting at the mouth of their cave, watching the rain stop.

"Watching the sunrise," he said quietly. She sat next to him and followed his gaze. She looked over at the sound of a lighter clicking and shook her head upon seeing a cigarette between his lips.

"Do you really think you should do that?"

"What?" Rude replied, blowing smoke from his mouth and pulling the cigarette away as he did.

"_That_. Smoking. I mean, you saw what almost happened to Cid. He's not much older than you are, from what I understand," she pointed out. Rude looked at her, then turned his gaze to the stick in his hand. He threw it aside.

"You're lucky I like you so much. If anyone else had said that, I would've punched them. Believe me, you don't want to get struck by me," he muttered. Rude leaned back and closed his eyes. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Just fine, yes. You?"

"Not as well as I will when I'm in Wutai, but still pretty well."

"You think we should start looking for the others?" Kali asked. Rude shrugged.

"If you want to."

"Well, of course I want to!" Kali exclaimed. She gave him a sideways look. Rude turned his gaze to her as she did.

"I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was we can wait until the ground has some time to dry or the sun comes up some more," he shrugged and stretched out again. "Your choice, but waiting for the ground to dry would be best."

"Why?" she asked. Rude sat up and pressed his hand to the ground outside. There was a sick gushing sound as his hand slid under the mud. He pulled it out when the mud covered halfway between his wrist and shoulder.

"That's how deep the mud gets around here after a storm," he explained, holding up his mud-covered arm for her to see. Kali stared in disgust as he wiped it off and flung mud to the side. "Of course, if you _want_ to go out in it…"

"To be honest," she muttered, "it is kind of nice to sit here talking with you."

"You're the first person to ever say that," Rude chuckled.

"Hmm?"

"I've never been very talkative, so nobody's ever said it's nice to sit and talk with me."

"You are really quiet," Kali admitted. She smiled softly at him and whispered, "But when I can get you to talk, you sure do have a lot to say. And nothing you say is meaningless. You always have a meaning behind what you have to tell us. Not many people do that.

"Which brings me to my next question. You've been acting very odd lately."

"That's not a question, but okay," Rude smirked. Kali's own smile faded.

"Rude," she started, "back in the Gold Saucer, the morning after I was raped, you sat with me and watched out for me. Before we fell asleep, you said something about me being nicer than Tifa. Just last night, you kissed me before you slept."

"You heard and felt me do that?"

"Yeah. What was that for?" she asked. Rude slid his glasses on and stared towards the rising sun. Kali only sat and bored holes into him. "Rude? Did you hear me?"

"I heard you. And I'll tell you when we're in Wutai," he said. His voice was back to the way it had been when they first met, and he had stopped leaning; he was sitting straight again.

"Rude, what are you-"

"I said I'll tell you in Wutai," he repeated stiffly. Kali closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. He obviously didn't want to pursue the topic any longer, so she kept silent. She didn't even know that she had been crying until Rude sat in front of her and wiped the tears from her cheeks a few minutes later. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's not you," she replied softly as she looked up at him. "It's everything on this planet."

Rude pulled her into a hug and leaned against the wall. Kali curled up in his lap, closed her eyes, and smiled as Rude gently rubbed her back. She never fell asleep, but she didn't open her eyes until the sun was high in the sky and a rumbling noise met her ears.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"How long has he been dead?" Cid whispered. Yuffie took a few drops of blood and tasted them.

"Only a few minutes. I'd say he's been dead ever since the rain stopped," she explained. They all stared at Alim. "It's a shame."

"Yeah," Kadaj agreed. He picked up the rope that they had swung in on and used the hilt of his sword to jam it into a small fissure in the stone wall. "We can't stay up here forever though. We have to get Rude and Kali, go to Wutai and Rocket Town, and save Sachiko. As much as I want to bury him properly, I think we should leave Alim here."

"You're right. It's too difficult to carry him down anyway," Reno pointed out. Yuffie laid Alim on his back and crossed his arms over his chest. A few minutes later, they repelled down the cliff face and landed safely on the ground. "Well, we're closer to Rocket Town now. Shall we go there first?"

"After we find Rude and Kal, yes," Kadaj nodded. They started walking through the canyon, but were only a few yards from their starting point when a shadow overtook the sun.

"What's that?" Yuffie pointed. Above them was a huge dragon. It was pure white and had a very slim, snake-like body. This dragon was so large, they were unable to see the sun behind it.

"I thought all the large dragons died out ages ago," Kadaj muttered. He slowly began walking backwards. "I think we should go."

"I think so, too," Reno nodded. Unfortunately, he moved far faster than Kadaj did. The dragon snapped its white eyes at them, roared, and began flying down to them.

"Run!" Cid yelled. They tore across the muddy ground, but the dragon came upon them quickly. They were just reaching their friends cave when the dragon began causing an avalanche from the wall next to them.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hmm…" Kali flinched as the rumbling came closer. She looked up to see Rude holding her so tightly, his muscles threatened to tear through the arms of his shirt. He quietly stood, picking her up off of the ground in the process, and backed slowly to the back of the cave again. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Something's causing an avalanche, but I can't tell what."

"Rude, I'm scared," she muttered as the ground began shaking. He had been holding her with one hand under her knees and the other under her back, but now he turned her to face him and held her to his chest.

"I know. I won't let anything happen to you, got it?" Rude replied. Kali nodded, but she began crying nonetheless. As she clutched her friend, he pulled out his pistol. Kadaj and the others ran past their cave. "Reno?"

"Hey, they're in here!" Reno yelled. Rude and Kali ran out to meet them. "We have to go! There's a dragon!"

"What?" Rude gasped. He looked up and saw the beast flying at them. He grabbed Kali's wrist and tore after the group. "Come on!"

"Rude, I can't keep up!" she yelled as they ran along the wall. Rocks fell behind them one right after the other as the dragon tore them down. Shizuka ran to the river and pointed at it.

"Ni erhe!" she yelled. They all leapt in, but as Rude came up, Kali's grip loosened and she tripped in the mud.

"Kali!" he snapped as he prepared to jump in the water. The girl stood, but the mud was too deep. One of her boots was stuck. She gaped at her friends as she struggled to get it out.

"HELP!" she screeched. The rock was tumbling closer. The dragon flew overhead and threw a particularly large one at the girl. She was only able to stare up at it helplessly while tugging on her boot. "Help…"

As the rock was only a few yards over her head, Rude ran up behind her, grabbed her around the middle, and pulled her free. The way he grabbed her and kept going, Kali remembered how Kadaj had rescued her from the train. Rude held her tightly, pulled her foot free with a _schlup_ sound, and ran with her. He tripped on her coat, and they both fell into the mud. They rolled a few yards and held each other. The dragon flew away as Kadaj, Reno, Yuffie, Cid, Shizuka, and Pradipa ducked under the water. They rose from the waves and ran up to find both Rude and Kali caked in mud. For a moment, they couldn't even see Kali; Rude had landed on top of her when they stopped rolling.

"Kali?" he hissed. He propped himself up and watched her open her eyes while the others approached. She stared back. They sat like that for a long time.

"I'm fine," she finally whispered. Rude nodded, then turned bright red as he noticed how he had landed. His redness worsened when he realized that his hand had been against her breast the entire time.

"You two okay?" Cid called as he helped them up. They both nodded slowly.

"We need to get washed up," Rude said quietly as he stood. Reno started laughing when he saw his face.

"So Rude really can blush!" he smiled. "Thirty years of friendship, and you finally blush!"

Rude stood and wiped as much mud from his body as he could. As he walked past Reno to go to the river and wash, he reached up and pulled Reno's ponytail. The redhead released a pain filled, girlish shriek as Rude pulled him into a backbend.

"And you still scream like a pansy," he retorted. As he walked away and Reno rubbed where the hairs had pulled the worst, Rude couldn't help but smile at the sound of Kali's giggling.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Guys over here. Kali, Yuffie, and Shizuka go over there," Kadaj ordered as they reached the small pool. The lagoon was the source of the river, and entirely surrounded by rock walls. Kadaj led them up a small path into it. "When we're all clean, we'll head to Rocket Town."

"Okay," they all agreed. The girls walked towards the right and the guys turned to their lefts. The guys all dove in immediately except for Rude, who tried to get as much mud off of him before trying to wash it off.

"Come _on_," Reno griped. "Just strip down and get in! Jeez."

"Well, if the water sinks into it, it could become even worse," Rude pointed out calmly. He finally decided that he had enough off and joined the rest of them. He started shivering. "You could've told me it was cold."

"You didn't ask," Kadaj pointed out as he shook water from his hair. He sighed. "I can't wait until all of this is over."

"But you remember what Sephiroth, Vincent, and Aeris said," Cid reminded him. Kadaj gave him a sideways look. "They said that Kali died every time she beat Zurine, that they ended up killing each other."

"I know. But I believe in her. Something tells me that this time will be different," Kadaj nodded. "I just want it all to end."

"Other than the fact that we've come close to death more times than I can count," Reno smiled, "I'm rather enjoying myself."

"What do you mean," Rude paused to duck his head under water for a second, "'close to death?' You _did_ die for awhile."

"Don't remind me," Reno muttered.

"Why do you want it to end?" Cid turned to Kadaj.

"Well, there's the fact that we're risking our necks every other second. If we save the world, we'll be heroes, right? I won't have to run anymore. I'll be able to live safely in a nice house instead of a rundown temporary shack. I can finally get a decent meal and a hot shower," he added as he glanced at the pool they were in. He smiled to himself. "Maybe I'll even share it with Sachiko. Yeah. That's what I'm looking forward to when this ends. How about you guys?"

"Once I find Shera, I don't really care what happens to me," Cid said softly. "I guess I'll just go back to the way we were before she disappeared. We were pretty happy back then. Except less drinking and cigarettes," he added, rubbing his chest.

"How about you, Reno? You going to marry Yuffie?" Kadaj asked.

"I don't think so. She still holds too much love for Vincent. Besides, I would die long before her. I don't want her or any possible children to go through that pain."

"Why don't you let her bite you?" Rude asked. Reno gave him a sideways look.

"You're my best friend, you should know better than anyone else here," he muttered. "I'm not a virgin. If she bit me, I would die, then become a ghoul. If she bit me, you'd have to cut off my head right after."

"Rude?" Kadaj turned to him.

"He doesn't count," Cid smirked. "He's going home in a few days. He can do whatever he wants sooner than the rest of us."

"Hey, lay off," Kadaj hissed. He turned back to Rude, but he had a look on his face that almost looked like… anger? Sadness? "You okay?"

"Fine. Just fine," he replied. He scrubbed the remainder of the mud from his arms and climbed out. "I'll meet you by the river."

"Rude?" Kadaj called as he dressed. Rude never replied, but only pulled his clothes on and walked down the path.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Pradipa, do you want to bathe?" Kali called as she slid her shirt over her head. He sat on a small rock on the shore and shook his head.

"I'm fine," he whispered. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, resulting in a sigh from Kali. Yuffie's head poked out of the water.

"Come on in. It's cold, but you'll feel better after a moment or two."

"Coming," Kali nodded, pulling off her pants and undergarments. She slid under the water and rubbed her arms. "It really is cold."

Kali slid underwater and scrubbed her head. Yuffie and Shizuka did the same a few yards away. As Kali came up, she looked over and noticed a small cave near the shore.

"What's that?" Kali asked Yuffie. The ninja followed her gaze and her face fell.

"That's Lucrecia's cave. Your grandmother's soul rests in there. Vincent came here every chance he got. Perhaps when we have more time, I'll bring you here and you can meet her."

"What do you mean?"

"Lucrecia died shortly after she gave birth to your father. But… when Hojo replaced her genes with Jenova's while your father was still in her womb, the cells injected themselves into her. Because of that, she couldn't really die. Her soul is trapped in there. Hojo laid her body in there and hooked it to a machine. If it gets turned off, she'll die for good."

"But when I watched him go to the Lifestream…" Kali trailed off. "Lucrecia was there."

"She was?" the woman muttered. "Perhaps one of her souls went to the Lifestream and the other stayed here."

"Maybe," Kali nodded. She turned on her back and floated for a second before Kadaj yelled at her across the pond.

"Hey! No backstrokes! We don't need to see your breasts!" he yelled. Naturally, Cid and Reno turned to see who he was yelling at.

"Fine!" Kali yelled back. She rolled her eyes and turned to Yuffie. "We just had to team up with four guys, huh?"

"But they do make life more fun," Yuffie smiled. Half an hour later, the small group dried off, dressed, and started the hike to Rocket Town.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Not much to say here. Except I killed Alim… he really didn't have any other job for the rest of the fic, and I kinda forgot he was there a few times ((sweat drop)). I know it's a corny way for him to die, but I don't care. Oh, and the review pics should be up shortly. I finally scanned them, and 1 is completely finished. I'm also going to post 2 pics of Nanashi, and 1 of Sachiko and Kadaj after the ending of the story. There's another one I might post, but it's a spoiler pic, so I dunno if I will or not… Oh, and if anybody knows of a good website to post music videos on, please tell me! I have 1 complete FF7AC, 1 that's about halfway done, and 1 that's still going through the planning process. I really wanna post em, so please tell me if you know of any besides 'gametrailers' and 'Chocobos' for I already know of them. Reviews:

**Mediciner:** ((glompage)) You're the only one that reviewed! And yes, Pradipa will get better, and it hopefully will be in the next few chapters.

**NM:** PLEASE review!

REVIEW!

Signed,  
Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	32. Dead Man Walking Part 1

****

Chapter 32

Dead Man Walking Part 1

"Are we there yet?" Kali asked. Kadaj glanced over his shoulder at her.

"No, not yet. It's going to be a few days at least," he replied. Kali was silent for a few moments.

"Are we there now?"

"No, not yet."

"How about now?" she asked after a few more seconds passed. Kadaj sighed.

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No," he groaned.

"Now?"

"No."

"Are we-"

"I said we're not there yet!" Kadaj yelled at her. He turned to see the most innocent of smiles on her face.

"But brother, I was only going to ask if we're going to stop and rest since we've gone without a break all day," she said sweetly. Kadaj just stared.

"God, you're a pain in the ass."

"Why thank you. I try very hard," Kali replied with a mock curtsey. She turned to see Rude chuckling.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with you, Kali. I think we should rest soon," he said with a smile. He pointed towards the mountains. "I can see Nibelheim from here. Let's stop there."

"I don't think so," Kadaj said immediately. "Marlene could be there. Besides, you remember what happened last time we stayed in a city."

"That's why we go in after dark, when all of the shops are closing," Cid pointed out. Kadaj nodded.

"Okay. Nibelheim it is. But," he added, "where will we stay? They've surely got the entire town on alert for us. We can't exactly waltz into the inn and ask for rooms."

"Why don't we sneak into the mansion?" Yuffie suggested. She held up a hand as the others protested. "We'll check around for Marlene's motorcycle and their other vehicles. If they're not there, it's probably safe. We always left the door unlocked when we were home, so if it's unlocked, we'll just run like hell for Mount Nibel and camp there."

"Sounds good to me," Reno nodded, "but what if Marlene comes in the middle of the night?"

"We could always lock ourselves in one of the basement rooms," Rude shrugged.

"Then I guess we have a plan," Kadaj agreed. He turned to the sky. "We should hurry. It'll be dark soon."

"Well then," Kali smirked. She shoved Kadaj in the back and ran towards the town. "Tag! You're it!"

"Why is she so hyper all of a sudden?" Kadaj smiled slightly. He looked at Rude. "What did you do to her in that cave?"

Rude didn't reply. He only started running after Kali. The others followed, and by sundown they were stepping into the town.

"Why do you have to run so fast?" Kadaj gasped. His hands were on his knees and he panted for breath, as did everyone else. Kali only smiled and walked through the streets. "Kali, wait! You shouldn't go off by yourself."

"I'll be fine," she called back to him. The others followed her slowly, but Kadaj held back to pull on his cloak. Kali looked around the yard of the mansion. No vehicles.

"Shall we try the door?" Cid whispered. He walked up to the door slowly and jiggled the handle. It was locked tightly. "Nobody home."

"How will we get in?" Kadaj asked as he came up. Yuffie reached into her pocket.

"I hope she didn't change the locks," she muttered. She pulled out a key and fitted it into the hole. She turned it and the door opened with a painfully loud creak. "Good. I just hope nobody heard that. Come on."

The small team walked into the house. Marlene and Tifa had apparently not returned. Dust was nearly an inch thick on the tables, and moths had eaten through several curtains.

"If you didn't know any better," Kadaj muttered as he dropped his cloak, "you'd think nobody has lived here since the Turks."

"We never lived here," Reno said absent-mindedly. Kadaj shook his head.

"Not you guys. I mean Vincent, grandma, and grandpa. And father for the first few months of his life," he added.

"Daddy was born here?" Kali piped up. Her brother nodded.

"Yeah. I think he was born in this house, too. Hey Kali, let's go down to the basement. I want to check out a few things."

"Okay," Kali nodded. She and Kadaj raced for the stairs while the others looked at each other.

"I guess I'll see what they left in the fridge. Probably all bad now, but I can look and fix us a decent meal tonight," Cid sighed. He walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll help," Rude called, following Cid. Yuffie looked at Reno as he played with her hair and Shizuka walked around the foyer.

"It's gotten longer," he pointed out. Yuffie nodded. When they had met Kali, her hair was very short. Too short, according to Vincent. Now her bangs were starting to hang over her eyes, despite her headband, and the ends had long ago started to tickle her neck.

"I'm going to go look around. I want to make sure we haven't walked into a trap."

"I'll come with you. You'll need a big, strong man around in case Marlene is here after all," Reno smiled at her. Yuffie cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh really? I guess I should get Rude to come with me then, huh?"

"Hey!" Reno snapped. Yuffie giggled and ran upstairs. Reno followed, but stopped to see Yuffie standing outside her old room. She walked in slowly and looked around. Her comforter was still lying on the floor where Vincent had thrown it when the night grew warm. The bed was still unmade, and her clothes from the day he returned were still on the floor by her desk. She sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed and closed her eyes.

"The last time I was in here was with Vincent," she whispered. Reno sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It was the only time, but the memory… Kali coming and him returning… him biting me… us sleeping together… I miss him so much."

"I know, Yuffie," Reno said softly. He wiped a tear from her face. "We all miss him. I don't think there's ever going to be a time that we won't."

"Reno, I never did blame you for his death. You know that, right?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't blame you if you did. I should've stayed with Kali or found Tifa before she got up there. Fate chose that his death would be that day. That's something we all have to learn to accept."

"I love you Reno," Yuffie said quietly. She turned to him and kissed him.

"I love you, too," he replied, wrapping her into a hug.

"I want to spend forever with you," she said in a breathless voice. He pushed her away when he felt her teeth start to come in contact with his skin. Indeed, her canines were far longer than they had been a moment before. "Let me bite you. Please, Reno, I want to be immortal with you."

"If you bite me, I'll die," he said as her teeth shrank. Yuffie gave him a sideways look. "I'm not a virgin. If you bite me, I'll be a ghoul and we'll _never_ be together. Ever."

"Oh," Yuffie trembled. She lowered her gaze. "Now I know why…"

"What?"

"When Vincent and I were dating after Meteor, he refused any opportunity for sex. Now I know why," she muttered. "If we slept together and he accidentally bit me, I would've become a ghoul, even if it was my first time and we had just started to…"

"But you let him bite you in the end."

"Yes."

"Yuffie," Reno whispered. "I love you enough not to let that stop us."

"I know," she replied. They stared at each other for a minute before kissing once again. Reno slowly pushed Yuffie back onto the bed and started to lie on top of her, but she gently pushed him off her chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She stared up at him lovingly yet apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but… I'm not ready to have another man in my bed. I just need a little bit longer."

"I understand," Reno said gently.

"But I'll still kiss you," she muttered. She grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him more passionately than she had before.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Shizuka walked upstairs slowly and peaked into Yuffie's room. Reno was lying on top of her. The pirate quickly turned away and walked towards Cloud and Tifa's old room. Upon entering, Shizuka caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was still in her ninja gear.

"Reeth sumt eb esmo-gnith ni erhe ot arwe," she muttered. She peered into the closet to find several black coats. She tried on each of them before she deciding on the last one. She reached into the dresser to find a pair of baggy black men's pants. "Hyte aer oto bygag."

She looked around for a pair of scissors, but found none. She quietly took out her knife and tore the sleeves off of the coat so that they only covered about two inches of her arms after the shoulders. She tried it on again, and sliced off the coat from her belly button down. Shizuka picked up the pants and removed the legs at the knees. The ninja took off her old clothes, pulled her shorts over her legs, and hooked the clasps on her top, making sure her bra was covered. She smiled at her reflection. _Tsih liwl od_, she thought. Then she saw her hair. It reached well past her butt. She slowly took her knife in hand again, pulled her hair back, and laid the blade beneath it.

"I uct ym arhi," she muttered, closing her eyes, "nad lal ite-s hiwt… het Anjin… Tarepi-s. Nah!" she gasped ferociously as the knife slid through her hair and she let the hundreds of strands fall to the ground. Looking back in the mirror, it was now just above her shoulders. Her eyes shone with tears for a moment. "I ma rorys, ym rathef Sargon."

She turned away from the mirror and picked up her weapons and walked into the hall.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Well, I found some pasta in the cupboard," Cid shrugged. Rude looked up from the fridge.

"Everything in here is rotten. Ugh," he quickly shoved the container he had opened into the fridge and shut the door. Cid laughed.

"Hoping to poison Marlene if she returns?"

"I don't get why she wants Kali dead so badly. Kali never did anything," Rude muttered. Cid smirked as he pulled down several boxes of pasta while Rude blew his nose to try and remove the smell.

"You think highly of her, huh?"

"Yes," Rude whispered slowly. He looked up when the pilot laughed lightly. "I'm going to regret that later, aren't I?"

"If Kadaj finds out you might."

"Finds out what?" Rude asked, giving him a sideways look.

"You've got a crush on his sister. Who, I might add, is about one third your age."

"Who says I have a crush on her?" he replied automatically, but Cid only shook his head at the redness growing in Rude's face.

"Nobody. But come on, the way you look at her and try to protect her so much, you must really care about her."

"I protected President Shinra and Rufus for years. It's an instinct that I protect people."

"No, this is different," Cid shook his head as he set a large pot on the stove. "Unless of course, you and the presidents had a relationship nobody knew about."

"Fuck you Cid," Rude snapped, giving him the finger at the same time. Cid only laughed more. "Why are you laughing so much?"

"I need to. Keep the spirit up, you know?" he muttered. His face clouded over. "I almost died… what, a month ago? Coming that close sort of gives you a new outlook on life. You know, I've been praying every night since Kali got here. Praying that she stays safe and does whatever she needs to do. Lately, I've been praying that she saves us all. That heart attack is the closest I ever want to come to death for a long, long time. Especially if Shera really is alive."

"I don't waste my time praying," Rude said somewhat bitterly. He leaned against the wall. "Before my parents were murdered, we didn't have very much. When I was a kid, I prayed every night that something better would come along, that somehow we'd have everything we ever needed. Then that bastard, whoever it was, came and killed them both and I abandoned my brother. Nobody is there to listen to us."

"But the souls in the Lifestream-"

"They can't do anything. They aren't in control. The souls don't decide our fates, they only tell us if we're doing something wrong or we need to change. There's no god or higher spirit watching us."

"How do you know?" Cid said softly, waiting for the water to boil. "Have you died and seen the entire Lifestream for yourself?"

"No. But if there was a higher power there, why doesn't he come to our dreams and help us? Why wasn't he there to tell us about Zurine? Sephiroth has been there every time, and we know he didn't succeed in his attempt to rule us. There is nobody there for us. I stopped believing that there was long ago."

Rude silenced himself and turned as the door opened. Shizuka walked in and they stared at each other. She quietly sat at the small table and watched them. The men said no more to each other and hurried to make dinner. The ninja only watched, trying to forgive herself for going against her father Sargon.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I miss him," Kali whispered, running a hand over Vincent's coffin. Kadaj stared at it and nodded. "Kadaj? What happened to Alim? You haven't told me yet. Did he run away?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Kali," he whispered, "Alim cracked his head open and crushed part of his skull when we swung into the cave. He didn't make it past sunrise."

"Oh, my god," she gasped. She covered her hand with her mouth and closed her eyes. "No."

"I'm sorry," her brother muttered. He held her while a few tears dripped down her cheeks. He gently pushed Kali away after a few minutes and left the room.

"Where are you going?" she called.

"I'm going to go look at the books. I want to take a few with us."

The two siblings walked into the old lab and pulled several books down. Kadaj handed them to Kali, who in turn laid them in their bags while Pradipa napped on one of the tables. Kadaj smiled as he moved a large box on the shelf.

"Hey Kal? Take one of these up to Rude and the other to Reno. They might come in handy," he said. He gave her two three-way radios and hooked another to his pants. "Tell them to radio me when they get them. And take him upstairs, I think he'd be more comfortable in a bed."

"Sure," Kali smiled. She ran up the rickety staircase with Pradipa and ran towards the kitchen. As she walked in, she smiled at the smell that came through. Shizuka sat quietly at the table, but Cid was standing over the stove and stirring their dinner while Rude put bowls on the table. He looked up and slightly smiled when she came in.

"What is it?"

"Kadaj found these in the basement," she explained, handing one to Rude. "He said to radio him and test it out. Any idea where Reno is?"

"Hiwt Yuffie," Shizuka piped up. Kali glanced at her.

"You know what I said?" she asked. The ninja only stared at her.

"Reno. Hiwt Yuffie."

"She must have known his name and that it was a question," Cid shrugged. He tasted the sauce and glanced at her. "When you find Reno and Yuffie, tell them dinner's almost ready."

Kali nodded and ran to find the others. After being unsuccessful on the first floor, she ran up the stairs and stopped to drop off her pet. He never moved. She left him, heard movement in Yuffie's old room and knocked slowly.

"Hmm… Reno, stop… Who's there? Reno, I said stop," Yuffie hissed. Kali answered and walked in with her eyes half open, ready to shut them if she was walking in on anything. She saw Reno, his jacket and shirt open, rolling off of Yuffie and wiping spit from his lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Kali tossed him the radio.

"A gift Kadaj found in the basement. Give him a call. Oh, and Cid says dinner will be ready soon," she added as she walked out. She headed back down as Reno called her brother.

When she was halfway downstairs, her head snapped up at the sound of the front door closing. Her heart raced as she saw a familiar blonde walk quickly through the house towards the basement. After a moment's hesitation, she ran to the kitchen and shoved open the door.

"Get down to the basement, now! Kadaj is in trouble!" she called to them. Before the people in the room could even look up to see her, she was tearing for the basement. Cid called Reno and Yuffie on the radio and they joined them a moment later, but when they got to the basement, it was too late.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj," came a voice. The silver-haired man froze and spoke without turning.

"You're dead. You were killed two months ago."

"Of course not. I can't be killed as easily as you can. I'm even harder to kill than your father."

"You almost killed me seventeen years ago," Kadaj muttered. He turned to face his attacker and slowly wrapped his hand around the hilt of his blade. "Now to return the favor."

The man before him drew the buster sword and glared. Kadaj came at him first and tried to slice open his chest. His opponent brought his sword up and blocked it. The two of them swung at each other at the same time and their blades made a horrible clanging sound. They slid down until the hilts were touching and the two men glared at each other. The blonde man turned away and Kadaj fell to the ground. He rolled away in time to avoid having the other sword dig into his chest.

Unfortunately, he didn't stand fast enough. The other man brought the sword down on Kadaj's hand. He screamed and quickly got up. Kadaj gaped at the end of his arm. His right hand had been sliced clean off. He shook when he saw it lying three feet away. During his distraction, the other man slammed the flat side of his sword into Kadaj and threw him against the wall. Kadaj shook as his enemy laid his buster sword against his throat.

"I've been waiting years for this moment. Once I kill you, I'm going after your sister and killing her. Then I'm going to track down Sachiko, and-"

"Cloud!" came a voice from the doorway. He turned just in time to see Kali shove her sword deep into his gut. Cloud's eyes rolled back into his head and he slowly fell to the floor as Masamune came out of him. The rest of the team came down to see his breath stop. Kadaj swallowed and knelt to the floor shakily, nursing his wound. Kali gasped when she saw the hand lying on the floor.

"I've lost a lot of blood," Kadaj whispered. "I need a doctor immediately."

"Come on, I'll get you cleaned up," Cid said gently. He picked Kadaj up and carried him upstairs. The others just stared at the body before them.

"How did he come back to life?" Yuffie whispered after a long silence. Rude frowned and knelt next to him. He slowly pulled the glove off of Cloud's right hand and nodded. He lifted the appendage so they could see the numeral II tattooed on it. Rude answered Kali's questioning look bluntly.

"He's a clone."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Will Kadaj be okay?" Kali asked Cid over dinner. The older man nodded.

"I got his arm to stop bleeding and wrapped it up. He's sleeping right now. Once we get to Rocket Town, we'll get a doctor to fix his hand."

"Won't it rot by then?" Yuffie asked. She took a moment to translate their conversation to Shizuka. Cid shook his head.

"There's no way to reattach it. He's going to need a prosthetic one."

"I still don't believe Cloud made a clone of himself," Reno shook his head. He paused to slurp up a noodle hanging out of his mouth. "How'd he come to life, anyway?"

"Marlene, probably," Rude muttered. Kali picked up her bowl and laid it in the sink. She silently filled another, filled a glass with water, and began to walk out. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take him something to eat. If he's not up, I'll sit with him tonight."

"She really loves him," Rude said softly when she was gone.

"I bet you wish you were Kadaj right now, huh?" Reno smirked. Rude fell silent and continued eating slowly.

"Do you guys think Kadaj would mind if I drink the blood in his hand?" Yuffie asked. "I'm almost due to drink some."

"It's not a full moon," Reno pointed out, laying a hand on her thigh under the table.

"No, but if I drink a little between moons, it gets sort of stored and if I skip a moon, it won't make me as tired as usual."

"I don't think he'll mind since we can't put it back on. Hey Yuffie, why don't you find an old bottle and put Cloud's in it? That way you have it when you need it," Cid suggested. Yuffie nodded and stood as she ate the last few noodles in her bowl.

"I'll be downstairs," she called over her shoulder. She picked up an empty vinegar bottle, rinsed it out, and headed downstairs to claim her drink.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hi Kadaj," Sachiko smiled softly, eyes half open. She took his hand and kissed him.

"Sachiko, I was so worried about you," he replied. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Very tired, but fine."

"How's our baby?"

"Sleeping," she whispered. She pointed to the end of the room where she knew their infant was lying. Kadaj hugged her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you two," he muttered. Sachiko touched his cheek.

"We were fine. Vincent and mom were here, they took care of everything…"

"I just wish she was here to see this…"

"Kadaj?" came a voice from a great distance away.

"Kali?" he gasped.

"Are you awake?"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj?" Kali whispered. Kadaj flinched in his sleep.

"Kali…" he muttered. His sister picked up a wet cloth and wiped his face gently.

"Are you awake?"

"Yes," he said softly, "but I wish I was still asleep."

"Still in pain?"

"Hells yeah. But I was also dreaming…" he explained, eyes not even half open.

"What about?" the girl asked, rubbing his arm gently.

"Sachiko. She had just given birth to my child."

"Sounds like it was a good dream. Maybe it's a premonition."

"It's not. She said that Vincent and Aeris helped her deliver. Then I said that I wished 'she' were here to see it. The 'she' I spoke of was you. You were dead. I know you can't die, not for a long time, and Vincent and Aeris are both dead now. It couldn't have been a foresight."

"Do you feel hungry?"

"A little," he said hoarsely. Kali helped him sit up and consume half of the noodles and water. "That tastes good."

"Cid and Rude made it," she smiled.

"I never thought of either of them as cooks," he chuckled. His smile faded. "That dream seemed so real. I wonder if she really is…"

"I'm sure she's fine. If she's The Hitomi, she's bound to be famous. If she's famous, Shinra is bound to have announced it to get us out of hiding."

"But they think we're dead," Kadaj reminded her. Kali nodded.

"Good point. I'm sure that if she is and she knows, it'll be the first thing out of her mouth."

"Yeah," Kadaj said quietly. He closed his eyes and laid his hand on the bowl. "That's enough for now. I'm full."

"Okay. If you need anything, I'm leaving a radio up here and keeping another with me. Get some rest. We'll take you to a doctor when we get to Rocket Town."

"Sounds great," he sighed. "Kali."

"Hmm?" she turned at the door to see him stare at her.

"Please sleep up here with me tonight. I don't want to take a chance of there being two Clouds or a Tifa or Barret running around."

"Okay. I'll see if I can find a cot to sleep in."

"There's room here," Kadaj muttered.

"To be honest, I think I need a good night's sleep in a bed of my own. I'll be right back," she promised.

She searched every room, but there were no cots anywhere. She finally looked in a closet and found a rotting mattress folded up in it. Deciding that it was better than sleeping on the floor, she dragged it to her brother's room, retrieved their bags from the basement (she might as well read, she wasn't tired), and covered the mattress with two comforters and a pillow from her room when they first arrived. She curled up between the blankets with a book and read silently while her brother slept.

"Lucrecia," Kali muttered, reading the name on the front page. The book was her diary, and it was filled up through the very last page. She was barely through the first page when the lights flickered out. "Huh?" Kali was about to get up and see what happened, but a light passed her door. A moment later, Reno and Rude were talking.

"What the hell happened?" Reno asked.

"I don't know," Rude muttered. "As long as Marlene isn't sneaking up on us, I don't care."

"Let's go check the fuse box," the redhead suggested. Kali listened to their voices and footsteps fade away.

Unable to read any more, Kali closed the book and wrapped up tightly. The mattress, though rotted and moldy, was quite soft with the comforter over it. The girl quickly fell asleep. She didn't hear when Rude and Reno came back a few minutes later.

"It's awfully quiet in there," Reno said, pointing at the sibling's room.

"They're probably sleeping. We did a lot of walking today, and Kadaj lost a lot of blood. I'd be surprised if they weren't sleeping."

"Speaking of which," Reno yawned, "I'm going to hit the sack myself."

"I'm staying up a little while longer. Make sure everything's okay," Rude said softly. They bid each other good night and Reno disappeared into Yuffie's room. When the door closed, Rude walked into Kali and Kadaj's room and looked down at Kali. He couldn't help smiling at the way his flashlight made her face look… He jumped when someone started speaking.

"Rude and Kali sitting in a tree," Kadaj muttered in a singsong voice. Rude shone the light on Kadaj in the bed and glared at him.

"What does that mean?"

"You like her, I can tell," he whispered. Kadaj stared at the ex-Turk as he sat on the bed. "You used to do this to Tifa, too."

"Do what?" Rude asked.

"Come and watch her sleep at night."

"How did you know?"

"I followed AVALANCHE during the Meteor Crisis. I know everything they went through after they went to Nibelheim and revived Vincent. Including when they killed father."

"Actually," Rude said, glancing over to make sure Kali was asleep, "I do like her a lot. She's beautiful, sweet-"

"Fifteen," Kadaj interjected. Rude turned back to him.

"That too," he nodded. "But I must love her. It's the only explanation."

"For what?"

"I keep smiling," he admitted quietly. Indeed, a smile played at his mouth as he said the words. "I haven't done that in years, probably since Cloud and Tifa got married."

"Hmm," Kadaj sighed. "Just be careful. I don't want her getting hurt again."

"Kadaj, I would never do anything to hurt her. You know that."

"I know. Rude, I've got to get some sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Okay. Goodnight," he said quietly, grasping the other's shoulder. Kadaj fell asleep almost immediately. He didn't see the kiss Rude planted on Kali's forehead before going to his own room.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Yuffie put the stopper on the vial of blood and sighed heavily. She remembered her first visit to this place so well… She shook the memories from her head. She didn't want to remember anymore. Vincent was dead, she knew that, and Reno was still alive. They couldn't be together forever, she knew that, too, but she still want to be with him as long as she could. Yuffie shut her eyes against the tears and stood. She leaned against the wall and looked around the room. A few boxes on the top shelf caught her eye.

"What's this?" she muttered. She froze when she heard two voices in the hall.

The lights had gone out a moment before, so what were they doing down here? The fuse box was upstairs in the small workroom where the guys had always messed with their weapons and vehicles. Reno and Rude shone their flashlights every which way, but they never came into the library, nor did they find the box. She sighed when they left; the sudden light had hurt her eyes. The ninja pulled the boxes down and opened one of them. She stared at the contents and opened the others.

"Oh, my god…"

To Be Continued…

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Poor Kadaj… I feel horrible about cutting off his hand… At least he'll get a new one. And yes, Cloud WAS a clone. The one that attacked them, anyway. But where did he come from? Find out in the next installment! And what did Yuffie find in the box? Oh, and besides Kadaj, which original FF7 character do ya'll think this is more about? I need to fill in the character boxes for it. I say Daj and Sephy, but what do ya'll think? Reviews:

**SAYAHIEI:** That he did! And I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**MERIELLE:** Yay! You reviewed! Yes, poor Alim… Yes, the dragon was cool. It's actually the first dragon from my story I'm working on for fictionpress (not up yet, don't bother looking), the dragon of Spirit… And you don't know how I had to resist chuckling myself when I wrote that part XD

**MEDICINER:** Now you know why I killed Alim off. Pradipa should be well when they reach Rocket Town (about 2 chapters from now) and you're not useless! Don't worry about the site, I think I found one.

REVIEW!

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	33. Dead Man Walking Part 2

****

Chapter 33

Dead Man Walking Part 2

"Oh, my god…"

Yuffie's eyes went wide as she dug through the boxes. She quickly closed them again as somebody came into the room. She was blinded by a beam of light for a moment before Reno came up and lowered the flashlight.

"What are you doing down here?"

"I was just wondering if you're coming to bed. What's that?" he asked, turning to the boxes. Yuffie stared from them to him.

"Help me take them upstairs to the den," she ordered. The two of them carried all three boxes in one trip and set them on the floor.

"What's in them?"

"Security tapes of the lab. We might find them useful."

"You think Hojo has something to do with all of this?" Reno inquired. The vampire shrugged.

"Who knows? If not, we can at least learn a little more about Vincent and Sephiroth," she suggested. She yawned and leaned against Reno. "Carry me up to the room. I'm too tired to walk."

"Bull shit," Reno laughed. Yuffie smiled and they both stood. "Let's just go get some sleep."

"Yes," Yuffie nodded, pecking him on the cheek. The two of them slowly walked upstairs and laid in bed without even changing. Yuffie rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I love you so much Reno."

"I love you too, Yuffie," he sighed. She curled up as tightly as she could against his side.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"How is she?" Valda asked. Sachiko was sleeping in the bed before her. The young Cetra's skin was pale.

"She's completely out of it," Skylar replied. She felt the girl's forehead. "She's still feverish. I tried to get it to go down, but it keeps coming back."

"What a time for her to fall ill. Not only does she have a job to do, but we also need her to stay healthy for her baby's sake. There's no telling what she will do if she loses it. Will she be well by tomorrow?"

"President, there is no way to get her well by tomorrow's excursion to the Temple ruins. The only way is to inject her with Mako, but in her present condition-"

"I don't care. The baby is barely a month grown, she cannot be that attached to it yet. The loss of a child so young is not my biggest concern. Besides, if Kadaj somehow escaped Junon and he finds out she's carrying his child before we can stop him from taking her, all of our lives are in danger. As much as I want her to stay healthy for the baby, the Promised Land is more important. Do it," the president commanded. She walked out of the room, followed closely by Bao and Zan.

Skylar looked down at the woman in the bed. Her hand was resting on her stomach, as many pregnant women tend to do, and a faint smiled played across her face. Skylar started to walk towards the cabinet and retrieve a bottle of Mako, but Sachiko reached her hand out and held the doctor's arm. Skylar jumped. Sachiko had simply reached out her arm and grabbed hers without even feeling around for it. The doctor took the gentle hand and watched her open her eyes.

"Please, don't put any more of the Planet's blood into mine. My blood must stay clean for Kadaj's baby. Please, keep that cabinet locked."

"I'm sorry, but it is as the president wishes," Skylar said softly. Sachiko turned her head towards her and her eyes became teary.

"Please, don't inject me. You are not a mother, nor are you a mother-to-be, you do not understand. I don't want to lose this child, not unless it is Kadaj's wish. But I know he would want to keep it," she added softly.

"Your words are not entirely true."

"What do you mean?"

"My son…" Skylar bit her lip and spoke quietly. "I lost him to Kadaj seventeen years ago. He had that geostigma illness, and they wanted to use him to bring back Sephiroth. He was… the only person with the strength to support Sephiroth's soul long enough to gain his own body. Cloud was the one to actually kill him. So long as my son lived, so did Sephiroth; my son made all of his wounds heal. Once my child was dead, Cloud slew your baby's grandfather. I understand that you do not want to lose your child. My own son was only about eight when he died. I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a child even younger. I shall speak to President Shinra. I don't want you or your child harmed any longer."

"Doctor?" Sachiko called. She sat up as Skylar started to walk out. "Thank you. If I may ask, what was your son's name?"

"His name was Denzel," the doctor whispered. "They called him an orphan, but he wasn't. I had him too early in life. I had to leave him home alone quite often to finish my schooling and work to feed the two of us. One day I came home and he was gone. Someone had taken him and given him to an orphanage in Midgar. I found him and we fled when Meteor came. I worked as a doctor at the orphanage in Kalm, and he was kidnapped by Loz. Denzel got away and Tifa took him in. Then only a few days later he died," she said softly, her voice cracking. She turned back to Sachiko. "Sachiko, I have an idea."

"What?"

"I want you to be with Kadaj. If you truly feel that he is your only love, then you should be with him. I don't think it's a good idea, but it's up to you. If you want, I can get you out of here. Tonight, while everyone else is asleep and before they awaken, we can leave together. I can take you to Junon, and you can see for yourself if he is dead. If he is not, I'll help you find out where he is. After we find him, if he is alive, I must go into hiding. If Valda finds out about this, we are both dead."

"I understand. Thank you. And I guarantee that Kadaj is alive," Sachiko assured her. The doctor smiled and laid a hand on her experiment's stomach.

"You'll be just fine," she said softly.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kadaj, Kali, you two need to come downstairs. Now," Reno called into the room. The two siblings rose slowly and walked down to the den. They gave the others a sideways look when they saw a portable television on and snow covering the screen. Yuffie stood and pushed a tape into the VCR.

"I found these security tapes last night. They might be of some use," she explained. She pushed the play button and they watched as a man in a white lab coat fiddled with some vials on the table that stood in the middle of the lab in the basement.

"Hojo," Cid muttered. The man onscreen looked towards the door and smiled as a woman in late pregnancy walked in.

"That's grandma, right?" Kali asked her brother. He nodded.

"Lucrecia, how do you feel this morning?" Hojo asked, wrapping her into a hug and kissing her. His hand lingered on her swollen stomach as he pulled away.

"How do you think? I can't get any sleep, the baby keeps kicking me every three seconds, and I haven't been able to see my feet in months," Lucrecia griped. She pulled herself onto the table and laid back. "When are you going to stop injecting me with Mako and Jenova?"

"When our baby is born, that's when," he answered, his voice somewhat cold when he said 'our baby.' He pulled out a vial and hooked her up to an ultrasound machine. He slowly slid a needle containing the vial's contents into her stomach and injected the cells into her. The screen turned back to snow.

"What happened?" Reno asked. Yuffie shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Hojo must have had them set to record only a few minutes before blacking out and recording again," Rude spoke up. "Either that, or they're so old some of the footage might have worn off."

"Maybe. I'll fast forward it until it starts again," Yuffie said. She pressed the button and waited until they saw Hojo and Lucrecia standing and talking in the lab.

"Remember our agreement. We do not grow attached to this child. He is an experiment. He isn't even technically your child," Hojo added. Lucrecia's head snapped up and she stared at him.

"Hojo, what are you talking about?" she gasped, laying a hand upon her stomach protectively. Hojo's hand joined hers.

"You know that he now contains very few of your genes. Jenova is his mother now. You aren't."

"But you're still his father," she whispered bitterly. Hojo touched her face as another figure walked into the room.

"Vincent, what brings you here?" Lucrecia smiled. She started to walk up to him, but Hojo held her back.

"Look, I've done a lot of thinking about what you two are doing," Vincent said softly yet seriously, "and Lucrecia, I can't let you do it. Something about experimenting on living people just isn't right!"

"Vincent, you are a Turk. We are scientists. Your thoughts of the matter are of no importance," Hojo replied coldly. Lucrecia walked past him and hugged Vincent.

"This was my own choice. If something goes wrong, I must live with it. What we're doing is for the future of the Planet. Trust me, this is all for the people of this world," she whispered. The screen went black as she pecked him on the cheek.

"That's it," Yuffie whispered. She closed her eyes as she turned the television off. "Vincent tried to stop them. I forgot that."

"I'm glad he didn't," Rude muttered. They all stared at him, but he turned and smirked at Kali. "If they hadn't had Sephiroth, Kali might not be here with us."

"Aw," Reno smiled. Kali turned back to the television to hide her own embarrassed smile. They all stiffened as they listened to a motorcycle outside. "Marlene."

"I think it's time to leave. Come on, we'll take the tapes with us and watch them later," Yuffie hissed. She and Reno gathered them up and laid them in their bags. The rest of them quickly packed their bags and ran out the back door. When Marlene was inside, they bolted for Mount Nibel.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Come in," Valda hollered over her shoulder as someone knocked on her door. Skylar walked in as Valda hid the object that was in her hands.

"You asked to see me?" the doctor said softly. Valda nodded to Zan, who then turned on the monitor sitting on the desk. Skylar was horrified to see herself on the screen talking to Sachiko only an hour earlier.

"I trusted you," President Shinra whispered as she cut off the video. She glared at Skylar. "And now you wish to go against me and take the girl away."

"President Shinra, ma'am, it's not like that. You see-"

"Shut up!" Valda snapped. "You've betrayed us. You let your emotions get in the way of your job. I warned you what would happen if you grew attached to our experiments."

"Please, don't," Skylar whispered fearfully. She swallowed as Bao and Zan each pulled a dagger out. The woman ran for the door, but let out a blood-curdling shriek as one of the daggers pinned her hand to the wall and another nailed her leg. She struggled to pull her bleeding hand free, but the dagger was too deep in the wall. Directly below them, Sachiko turned her head up towards the ceiling, trying to determine what the screams were about.

"I did not hire you to bring down this company with an emotional mistake," Valda hissed. She pulled the forty-five-caliber pistol from behind her. "I hate doing this, but I have no more use for you and you've left me no other choice."

"Valda, please no, you-" Skylar began pleading, but was cut off by twelve rounds being fired into her body, all of which missed her vital spots until the last, directed at her forehead, was fired.

"Oh, no," Sachiko whispered. She laid her hand on her stomach and wept, her eyes still towards the ceiling. She remained like that until Valda came down ten minutes later to complete Skylar's job.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"This mountain gives me the creeps," Kali muttered. Kadaj wrapped his handless arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"Not terribly much longer. Don't worry," he told her soothingly. Kali laid her head on his shoulder as they walked over Mount Nibel. They ran into Reno as he stopped.

"I think we should find another way around," he said softly.

"No. This is the fastest way to Rocket Town," Cid shook his head and stood next to Reno. He paled. "You're right, maybe we should find another way."

"What?" Kali asked. She walked up to them and saw a giant power plant towering above them. "What's that?"

"That's a Mako reactor," Rude explained. "Since Rufus died, they've all fallen into disrepair."

"Wait," Kadaj hissed. He stared at the ground. There were faded footprints leading the direction they had come from. The man drew his blade and began walking up to the reactor.

"Where are you going?" Yuffie yelled after him. Kadaj turned and glared at them.

"The monsters that dad and Zack were supposed to kill twenty-five years ago came from here. His mutated clones were here. Who's to say Cloud didn't follow suit?" he replied. The man ran up to the building as fast as he could.

"Kadaj wait! You shouldn't go by yourself!" Kali yelled. She ran after him, followed closely by the others. She coughed as she entered. The musty smell was terrible.

"This way," Cid pointed. They looked up a chain to see Kadaj disappear onto a platform. How he climbed up with only one hand, they never found out. They swiftly climbed up, ran across the piping, and caught up to him as he came to a heavy door.

"Anc ew og own?" Shizuka asked Yuffie as they pulled the doors open and walked in. "I ma ceras-ed."

"Lohd no," Yuffie replied gently.

"I was right," Kadaj gasped. They walked in to see row upon row of capsules, each with a name across the front. The first row was Cloud, then Tifa, Barret, Nanaki, even Cid and Yuffie were there. The silver-haired man approached the first row and peered into the small window. Cloud was suspended in liquid, curled in the fetal position, and nude. Kali caught a glimpse of his hand. He had an 'III' tattooed on it.

"What do we do? Should we leave them or destroy them?" Kali whispered. She turned back to the capsule containing Cloud.

"AH!" He suddenly came out of the curled position and started scratching at the window. Kali screamed and backed away quickly as the case shook. They all turned to look at the entrance as the front doors opened.

"Shit, she followed us," Kadaj hissed. He grabbed Kali and led her up the stairs between the two sets of clones. They shoved the door open, entered, and watched through the crack between the doors.

"Hell," Marlene hissed as she caught sight of the waking clone. She approached him and gently laid a hand on a button on the side of the case. The liquid drained out, the door opened and Cloud sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and eyes wide. "Good morning."

"What's happened?" he asked as he caught his breath.

"Sephiroth's children are still alive and the Turks, Cid, and Yuffie are still helping them. C-2 was killed, but he did manage to cut off Kadaj's hand prior to death," Marlene explained. Cloud stood and began pacing the room.

"Fuck it," he hissed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. "Wake up the others. We'll need them. Where are my clothes?"

"Right in there, where they always are," the girl sighed, pointing at the room where they were hiding. The small group hid in an empty adjoining room as Cloud climbed the steps. Kali, instead of going to the back like the others, sat and watched him through the opening of the door. She closed her eyes as he entered, but looked up at a rustling of fabric and chuckle. Cloud slid a pair of boxers on while he spoke to somebody.

"How does it feel to be locked up and hidden away?" he smiled. Kali tried to see who he spoke to, but the closet door blocked her view. Somebody muttered an answer as Cloud gelled his hair. "Oh, you think so? Well we don't. We rather like this arrangement," he smiled as he pulled his clothes on. Cloud went to the other closets and removed four more outfits from them. He turned back to the person he spoke to before closing the door. "Oh and if you're curious, your wife didn't even know she was making love to clones and not you."

Kali flinched as a furious yell rose from the room. Cloud slammed the door shut, picked up the clothes, and walked back out. The group ran to the doors and watched.

"They're all waking up now," Marlene called as he walked down. Indeed, they watched as Barret, Tifa, Cid, and Yuffie all stood slowly from their cases. Cloud tossed them their clothes and explained the situation to them as they got dressed. Kali couldn't help smirking slightly as Rude tensed behind her.

"What's wrong?" she said so only he could hear. "Never got to have Tifa to yourself before you killed her?"

"Shut up," he hissed back, but he couldn't resist a smirk as he watched her pull her bra on.

"So where do we go?" Barret asked. Cloud shrugged and turned to Marlene.

"Well?"

"I really don't know. I only know they were at the house because I found Kadaj's cloak laying on the floor and C-2's body was drained of blood."

"What does that have to do with it?" Yuffie asked.

"You're a vampire now, remember? Well, the original you is, anyway," Nanaki pointed out, licking the remaining liquid from his fur. "Even I know that. Shall we take _The Sierra_?"

"Fuck yes," Cid smirked. "I haven't piloted an airship in ages."

"We'd better hurry. There's no telling where they are now," Tifa said. The seven of them walked out and shut the doors behind them.

"What now? We have all of AVALANCHE on our asses now," Reno groaned. Kali paid no mind. Her attention was on the door across the room. "Where are you going?"

"The Cloud clone was talking to somebody. I want to see who," she muttered. Kali pulled the door open slowly and gasped loudly. Cloud looked up at her in surprise. He was completely nude, his hair was plastered against his scalp due to lack of washing, and his skin was so dark from dirt, one was unable to tell that he was a white man. His gauntlet was strapped to the arm of the chair he sat in and a tube was coming from it. He was shaking.

"You're Kali."

"Yes. What happened to you?" she asked. She knelt by him and tried to wipe the filth from his face. Kadaj and the others held back and watched. Cloud glanced up at them.

"It's okay. I can't get out. Believe me, I've tried."

"What the fuck happened?" Cid muttered, coming a few steps closer. He stared Cloud in the eyes. "It's really you. I thought you got killed the night Kali came."

"No," Cloud shook his head. "That was C-1."

"He ran away though, right? Just before you guys left?" Yuffie piped up.

"Yes, but… the day I came back, I came here to put all of the other clone's memories into the new ones before going back to Nibelheim. I came back just outside of Rocket Town, so I figured it would be faster to come here and do that first.

"I was working when C-1 jumped me and strapped me to this machine," he explained quietly, looking around at the machine surrounding him. "My gauntlet is like Vincent's. It makes me immortal, and he figured out how to transfer the power from my arm to the clones. They aren't immortal, but this gauntlet lets them breath easier in the liquid filling the tanks and keeps them alive if I don't use them."

"Then why make clones if you're immortal?" Reno piped up. Cloud stared at him.

"Unlike Vincent, I realized that if I lose it in a fight I'll die. I couldn't let myself die until Sephiroth was. I made the clones, but they were so different from me."

"How so?" Kali whispered.

"Your father and I were close friends before we came here," he said softly. He turned his gaze to her. Kali couldn't help pitying him as she looked into his stunning blue eyes. "I was angry at him and felt the need to avenge my town and Zack, but I never wanted his memory completely erased. My clones somehow mistook my intentions and C-1 started making threats to kill anyone that so much as says his name. And now I find out that they've been fucking my wife and she didn't even know it wasn't me."

"Cloud, about Tifa," Rude piped up. Cloud looked up at him and tears filled his eyes before he could speak.

"I already know. She's dead," Cloud said softly. Rude nodded slowly.

"Is there anything we can do?" Cid asked. Cloud's face fell and he closed his eyes.

"Kali, I want you to cut off my arm, detach it from the machine, and burn this place to the ground. I want to be able to go to the Lifestream and stay there."

"Stay in the Lifestream?" Kali repeated.

"Yes. I was never fed or given a drink while I was here. My gauntlet is only unlike Vincent's because it only keeps me from growing old or dying of an illness. If something unnatural happens, like starvation or dehydration, it will keep me alive, but I still die in a sense and my soul can come and go from the Lifestream. I guess you could say that I'm much like Lucrecia. It's all very confusing."

"Cloud, are you sure you want me to cut off the gauntlet?" the young girl asked. He nodded.

"I'm not supposed to see what will happen when you beat Zurine. I need to die. I'm ready to."

"Can you tell me one thing? The person that killed C-1... Do you know who it was?" Kali inquired, though she suspected that she already knew. Cloud smiled weakly.

"Do I really need to say it? Your face says that I don't."

"I need to hear it. I know it was him, but I need to hear it from you."

"Devin snuck into my house and killed my clone the night you met C-1."

"I have to kill him," Kali whispered shakily. A few tears dripped down her cheeks. "He raped and tried to kill me. There's no telling who else he's murdered or even raped. I have to do it."

"You've forgotten one other thing," Cloud pointed out. He pointed at her stomach. "You could be pregnant."

"Don't say that!" Kali yelled. She covered her ears. "Don't say I'm pregnant! If I am, I can't fight Zurine. If I'm pregnant, it'll make it even harder when the time comes to kill Devin!"

"Why do you think I tried to kill you the night I raped you?" came a voice from the doorway. They all turned to see Devin leaning against the doorframe. "The pain of birth is the worst pain you can go through. I can't bear to watch you go through it."

"Bull shit," Kali hissed through gritted teeth. She glared at him with teary eyes. "You don't know pain until someone does to you what you've done to me. You were my best friend. I trusted you enough to throw away my doubts and let you take my purity that night. How could you lie to me like that?"

"Kali, I'm sorry," he said gently. He walked up to her and tried to stroke her face, but she brought her own hand up and slapped him.

"Don't touch me again," she said angrily, tears slipping down her face again. Devin kept his head turned from her, refusing to let her see the hurt in his own eyes.

"I'm sorry," he muttered again, reaching for a dagger, "but this is something I have to do."

"Kali, run!" Rude yelled. He grabbed Devin's hand as he brought it up to strike her and wrestled with him. "I said get out!"

"Cloud, we'll come back and cut off your arm later. I promise!" Cid yelled back. Cloud nodded as they ran out of the room. As they fled, Devin threw one of his smaller daggers towards the group. It stuck in Kali's pack as Rude pinned Devin down.

"Stay away from her," Rude hissed. Devin smirked at him.

"Do you really think she wants you? You've lived at least half your life already, if not more. Her life has barely begun. There's no way she'd be with you."

"At least I'm true to my word and her friend. Friends don't do what you did to her," he growled. He twisted Devin's arm behind him and said once more, "Stay away from her or she's not the one you have to worry about killing you."

"Ugh," Devin groaned as he snatched a dagger from his belt and slashed at Rude. He backed away quickly, but the dagger managed to rip through his shirt and tear a thin layer of flesh. Rude grabbed his chest and his hand came away with blood. As he started to come back at Devin, the young man bolted for the door and disappeared.

"Wow," Cloud chuckled. Rude turned to him. "Never thought I'd ever see the day you actually fell for somebody."

"I've always loved someone," he said quietly. "Cloud, there's something else I have to tell you about Tifa."

"Let me guess. You slept with her," Cloud guessed with a smile. Rude turned red for a moment.

"Yeah, I did. A long time ago."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"That was close," Yuffie sighed. Kali pulled the dagger out of her pack and opened it.

"Pradipa? Are you okay?" she asked. Pradipa stuck his head out and smiled weakly at her as she lifted him out.

"I'm fine," he said softly. They all looked up at the sound of the doors opening. Devin sprinted out and ran towards Nibelheim. Kali let out a gasp.

"Rude!" she yelled. She laid Pradipa and the knife on the ground as she ran towards the reactor again.

"Kali, wait! AVALANCHE could be coming back!" Kadaj grabbed her wrist, but Kali twisted it out of his grasp and continued running. She got to the top of the steps as Rude walked out.

"Worried about me or something?" Rude smirked. His eyes widened as Kali threw herself on him and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said softly. She glanced at the blood on his shirt. "For the most part, anyway."

"Let's just go to Rocket Town," he replied. They walked down the steps, Rude changed his shirt and bandaged his wound, and they started on their way. Kali froze and looked back. Pradipa was sitting on the ground with the knife in paw.

"What?" he cheeped. Kali knelt and hugged him.

"I promised your mother that I would take you off her hands and find you a knife. You have it now. Goodbye, Pradipa."

"What? No!" he cheeped. He closed his eyes and dropped the knife. "Don't leave me."

"Pradipa, you can go back to your mom now. You can survive properly. You don't need us anymore," she replied quietly. She turned away and started crying.

"Kali wait!" Pradipa called. He fell silent.

"Kali, look," Reno pointed. She turned and watched as the creature glowed.

"Pradipa?" she gasped. The wind picked up and Pradipa grew even brighter. He started flashing a bright, white light and blinded the others. When their sight became proper again a few minutes later, they gaped at what was before them. It was tall, had a lizard-like head, a stubby tail, green skin, humanoid, and had on a brown vest and pants. His hands and feet ended in sharp claws and two small wings were on his back.

"Don't be afraid," he smiled at Kali, who had begun shaking. "I'm Pradipa, and I don't feel sick anymore."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** Yay! Update! Okay, last day of school was today and I'm going to be home a lot for the next 2-8 weeks, so I'll probably be popping out some fast chapters. Plus the fact that I'm FINALLY coming up to some more parts I've had planned. So. We all know who Denzel's mommy is now. Cloud is still alive. Devin is a bastard. Pradipa is finally better (I wanted to make the transformation longer, but 1- I wrote it at 6:30 in the morning and had to go to school right whenI finished, and 2- I was almost at 5K words which is my limit). So. Any questions? If so, leave a review. Reviews:

**SAYAHIEI:** Glad I could help with the talking. And would you like me to beat up your internet for you? Would that make you feel better? And I hope your arm gets well soon. I know you hate it, but ((cuddles arm gently))

**Mediciner:** Ya, I thought Rude too, but after Wutai it'll be revolving around Cid for awhile. Then probably Daj/Sachiko. Then Devin/Kali. Then someone else. So I can't decide. And time traveling, eh? And I say draw both bishies X3.

**RYU THE YOUKAI:** Wow, haven't heard from you in awhile ((glompage)) Actually, Kali's going to kill them in one action-packed battle. Or she'll follow through with Cloud's burn-down-the-reactor plot.

**KIZNA1200:** What was in the box was really lame… BUT one of the tapes holds a dark secret… they'll find out which one when they finish watching them. AND the house had no power after dark.

REVIEW!

Signed,

Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	34. Truth be Told

****

Chapter 34

Truth be Told

"Pradipa, what happened to you back there?" Kali asked later that night. They sat around a small campfire in a field a short distance from Rocket Town. They could have made it that night, but Cid said that _The Sierra_ was stored there and they had yet to see the airship take to the skies. Pradipa, sitting on his haunches, tore a piece of jerky with his new fangs and swallowed before explaining.

"I really don't know. But I think this is what made me sick," he said softly with his new, deeper voice. Kali nodded and ate slowly.

"Maybe Sachiko will know. She's smart."

"Uyo aer a Zeki Tonberry," Shizuka spoke up. Yuffie glanced up at her in surprise.

"Uyo aer eurs?"

"Eys."

"Shizuka says that he's a Zeki Tonberry."

"A what?" Kali and Pradipa both said together.

"A Zeki Tonberry," Yuffie repeated. "They're a special breed of Tonberry that used to protect the Planet along with the Cetra. Most of them supposedly died out with the Ancients centuries ago, but they say that when the Planet is in trouble, another will be born. Looks like you're it."

"How do you know that?" Reno asked. Yuffie stiffened and took a deep breath.

"Because we do," she finally muttered. Reno glared at her.

"That's not an answer."

"Look, it's between myself and my family, okay?" she snapped. Kali's stomach gave an odd jerk. She had never heard Yuffie raise her voice in anger before. Pradipa gave her a sideways look.

"I know now…" he whispered.

"Know what?" Cid asked. Pradipa kept looking at Yuffie.

"When we met, I saw something about you. You had an aura," he explained. "You're of Cetra descent, aren't you? Shizuka is, too."

"Huh?" Reno sat up. They all stared at Yuffie and Shizuka. Yuffie nodded slowly.

"Everyone on the island is. When the Cetra sacrificed themselves hundreds of years ago, the few survivors fled to our island and established the city of Wutai. Non-Cetra began to wed and bear children with the Cetra. Only a small percentage of our blood is Cetra," Yuffie whispered, glancing at Shizuka. "So many generations have passed, it's amazing that there's any left in us at all."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Rude asked. Yuffie turned to him and Reno.

"When I met you two, you were trying to get Aeris to find the Promised Land. Who's to say the same wouldn't have happened to our entire island?"

"But that can't be right," Kadaj shook his head. "The Anjin Tarepi-s, they're not Cetra, are they?"

"Only two," Yuffie said softly. "Sargon and Shizuka."

"But Shizuka isn't from your town, is she? So did she move or something?" Kali asked.

"No," Shizuka said slowly. She closed her eyes and spoke shakily. "Sargon is… my rathef."

"Your what?" Cid said.

"My… Yuffie, thaw si 'rathef' ni hirte aglagnue?" she asked.

"Father," Yuffie whispered.

"Sargon is my… father," she said in a trembling voice.

"So you're cousins," Reno deduced. Yuffie nodded.

"I decided not to tell you. I thought you might think her a traitor."

"From now on, no more secrets," Kali demanded. "We tell each other the truth, no matter how painful it may be to others."

"Then tell us the truth," Kadaj muttered. "Are you pregnant?"

"I don't know," Kali shrugged. She massaged her stomach slowly. "It's too early to tell if I am or not. I haven't felt sick or different if that's what you mean."

"We'll keep an eye on you then. See if you show any symptoms. One more question. Do you still love Devin?" Kadaj asked. Kali held her breath and thought for a moment.

"Yes," she whispered. "That's why it hurts so much. No matter what he's done to me or will do, I still love him deeply."

"Kali, if you don't think you can do it, one of us will kill him for you," Cid said softly.

"No. Something tells me that I have to do it."

"It's late. We should sleep now," Pradipa whispered. He stretched out on the ground and closed his eyes. The others slowly did the same. "Kali?"

"Yes?" she whispered back and she curled up in her sleeping bag. Pradipa motioned her over with a claw and pulled her close.

"Just because I'm more human than before doesn't mean you can't still curl up with me, does it?"

"Of course not," Kali smiled. She laid her head on his shoulder and got as close to him as possible.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Which way to the hospital? I need my hand fixed," Kadaj moaned. They walked through the Rocket Town streets quietly, blinking in the growing sunlight. Cid took Kadaj's arm and led him to the left.

"Yuffie, you know where my house is. The rest of you wait there, I'll call when he's done," Cid said. The two of them were gone a moment later.

"This way," Yuffie pointed to the right. She led them to a slightly rundown house near the other edge of town. She reached up onto the awning and smiled as she pulled a key down. She opened the door and walked into the dusty home. "It's like he couldn't hire a maid to clean once in awhile."

"It's a nice house," Kali whispered. "Just needs some tidying up."

The small group laid their bags in the hall and walked around the house quietly. Kali gasped as she looked out the back door.

"What's that?" she grinned. She pointed at a large machine behind the house. Reno narrowed his brow and stared at it.

"Not sure. Must be one of Cid's projects," he shrugged. Reno yawned. "God I'm tired."

"Why? You were the first one to fall asleep," Yuffie pointed out. Reno shrugged.

"I guess the Mako hasn't completely worn off."

"None of us really slept last night and it's still really early. Let's all take a nap," Pradipa suggested. Everyone quietly agreed and, not wanting to explore the house without permission, laid out their sleeping bags in the living room. Kali curled up in hers, tossed and turned for an hour, and finally sat up, wide-awake. She sighed, got up, and walked into the kitchen to find something to eat.

"Damn, there's nothing here," she muttered when she had searched all the cabinets. They were completely empty. Her stomach released a pained groan as she thought of food. They had no more rations, they had run out of everything except a few pieces of jerky before reaching Nibelheim, and they had yet to buy more.

A whistling reached her ears as she left the room. Looking around, Kali couldn't resist smiling. Reno and Yuffie were waking up together and talking quietly, Shizuka was huddled by the door and watching Yuffie, Pradipa was curled into a ball with his wings wrapped around him and whistling, and Rude was stretched out on the small sofa with his jacket over the back of it. Kali leaned against the doorframe and closed her eyes. Kadaj was probably in surgery right now. She cried silently as she thought of him with no family present to comfort him. She sighed and quietly walked through the room. Without knowing why, her gaze returned to Rude. She smiled and crawled over him, curling up between him and the back of the couch, her head resting on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise.

"What's this?" he asked. Kali laid a hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I can't sleep, I keep thinking about Kadaj. I just want to be held," she muttered in reply. She was asleep in no time. Rude smiled and pulled his jacket around her arms and wrapped his arm around her. He closed his eyes to sleep, but the sudden silence was too distracting. He looked over to see Reno, Yuffie, Shizuka, and the now awake Pradipa staring at them.

"What?"

"That's so adorable," Reno smirked. "You holding her like that."

"So she needs someone to hold her, so what?"

"I never thought I'd see you cuddling with anybody," Reno said. Rude shrugged and closed his eyes. "Come on, what's going on with you two? Do you love her or something?"

Before Rude could answer, Cid walked through the door with Kadaj in his arms. They all turned to him and smiled.

"That was fast," Yuffie piped up. "Only… what, an hour and a half?"

"We have the best prosthetic surgeons on the Planet. Besides, it wasn't too major surgery. Except…" Cid sighed and laid Kadaj on the other couch. "They had to replace his entire arm."

"What?" Pradipa piped up. He walked over as Cid took Kadaj's coat off. His entire right arm was pitch-black metal. "Why?"

"They couldn't match a hand alone with his nerves, so he wouldn't have been able to use any hand they attached. They amputated the arm and attached this one. He has full use of it, it's like he never lost the arm."

"Does he know they replaced it all?" Rude called from the sofa. Cid shook his head.

"He was already under when they noticed. He hasn't woken up yet."

"Just let him sleep," Yuffie ordered. "We need to go get more rations. Why don't we do that while Rude stays here with Kali and Kadaj?"

"Fine with me," Reno nodded. Pradipa, Cid, and Shizuka agreed and left the house while the two siblings dreamed again.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Which way?" Kadaj growled. Valda winced as he twisted her arm farther behind her back.

"To the left and down. She's down there, I promise," she grunted. Kadaj let her go and threw her against the wall.

"Kadaj, look," Kali pointed down the hall. The floor was smattered with drops of blood.

"Shit," Kadaj muttered. His left hand wrapped around Souba as his pitch-black right curled into a fist. He ran down the hall as quickly as he could.

"Kadaj, wait!" Reno yelled. They ran after him, but he was too quick. He reached the end of the corridor long before the rest.

"Sachiko!" he screamed. He panted as he listened for her reply.

"Ah!" came a scream around the corner. He raced along the wall and froze at the sight.

"Give me the Materia!" Zurine yelled. Sachiko shook her head and screamed as the dirk sliced through her arm. It was then that Kadaj noticed the white marble on the staff. Unfortunately, Zurine noticed it, too.

"Sachiko, run!" Kadaj screamed. He drew Souba as Zurine dug her katana deep into Sachiko's stomach and tore the marble from the staff. Zurine turned to find Kadaj approaching her in tears and preparing to slice her.

"You cannot win. You've already lost," she hissed. She blocked the blow quickly and flew off.

"Sachiko," Kadaj gasped. He held her close and sobbed.

"Kadaj… I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"You're not just losing me," Sachiko gasped. She laid a hand on her stomach and breathed raggedly. "Our baby is dying, too."

"Oh, no," he shuddered. Sachiko stopped breathing, her blood seeping onto Kadaj's hands. He pulled her even closer to him and cried heavily. "Sachiko…"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"I don't want to hurt you!" Kali called. Devin closed his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you either," he whispered. Kali was surprised to see tears staining his face. "But this is something I have to do."

"No, it's not," she shook her head. "You can come with us, help us kill her."

"You don't get it. I was killed not five minutes after I came here. Zurine brought me back, but… she has a special potion I have to drink every night. If I don't drink it, I die again within twenty-four hours. And I have to be reminded that life exists and we can enjoy it."

"What do you mean?"

"The potion gives me my life, but what Zurine does when I drink it is what keeps me from going mad with pain," he muttered. When Kali gave him a sideways look, he sighed. "I've been sleeping with her. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Kali gasped. She trembled and slowly drew Masamune. "I guess there's only one thing left to do."

"Yeah," Devin nodded. He slowly drew his daggers. "I love you."

"I loved you, too."

Devin ran across the field and tried to cut open her stomach. Kali rolled away and went for his legs. He leapt into the air and came down, his daggers hitting where Kali had been before leaping away. They came at each other, slicing and dodging, for another twenty minutes. Kadaj, Rude, Reno, Yuffie, Shizuka, Cid, and Pradipa were watching fearfully as they tired. Pradipa was the only one to notice a flash of white in the trees above.

"She's going to attack," he muttered. Kadaj looked up and saw nothing.

"Who?"

"Are you finished?" Devin growled at Kali. She spit blood and glared at him.

"No. Not yet," she hissed back. She slowly raised Masamune once more. It was then that Kadaj saw what Pradipa had pointed out.

"KALI, MOVE!" he screamed.

"Ah!" she gasped and Masamune dropped to the ground. She looked down to see a piece of metal sticking out of her stomach. Behind her, Zurine pulled the sword out slowly, turning the blade as she did. Kali screamed in pain and finally fell quiet as the blade came out and she fell motionless to the ground.

"What a fitting end for my niece. Death precisely as the one-winged angel dealt it to the last Cetra," she whispered. She laughed and continued sarcastically, "My brother would be so proud."

"'My niece?' 'My brother?' What are you talking about?" Kadaj screamed angrily, struggling to hold back tears. Zurine smiled at him.

"Oh, you mean the one-winged angel never told you? I suppose he wouldn't. He never knew himself. Leave her body to rot!" she snapped. Devin backed away from Kali's body slowly.

"What?" Kadaj hissed. Zurine only smiled evilly at him.

"Sephiroth… he was my big brother."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Ah!" Kali sat straight up on the couch and shook. She jumped when two arms wrapped around her from behind.

"You okay?" Rude whispered into her ear. She nodded and took a few calming breaths. She gently laid her hands on his, resting on her abdomen.

"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream."

"What was it?"

"We were at the Ruins, and Valda was leading us to Sachiko. We came around the corner and Sachiko was kneeling at Zurine's feet. Zurine stuck her katana through Sachiko's stomach, took the white marble from her staff, and flew away. Kadaj was holding Sachiko as she died. She said something about their baby dying with her. Then Kadaj just held her body and cried," Kali whispered. She shuddered and leaned back against Rude as tightly as she could. She pulled his arms closer around her.

"What's wrong? You scared?"

"Yes. In fact I'm utterly frightened," she gasped. She let a few tears drip down her cheeks and he held her. Rude gently wiped them away.

"It was just a dream. We'll rescue her before Zurine gets to her. I promise."

"I hope so," she muttered. She glanced over and saw Kadaj still sleeping. "So I guess everything went well."

"Yeah," Rude smiled. "They ended up replacing his entire arm, but other than that he's good as new."

"Good."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kadaj flinched slightly as he slept. A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced around, his vision blurred. He closed his eyes and groaned, trying to mentally force the anesthesia from his body. He slowly tried to lift his right arm, but it was suddenly heavy. He furrowed his brow and suddenly remembered: he had just had an operation to replace his hand. Kadaj slowly lifted his hand to his face to rub his temples, but winced at the cold metal on his skin. As his vision cleared, he noticed something odd. Not only was his hand heavy as lead, but the rest of his arm seemed to weigh a ton as well. He glanced at his arm and sat up quickly, groaning as blood rushed from his head.

"You okay?" Kali asked. Kadaj trembled as he looked at his metal arm.

"What happened? I thought it was just my hand…"

"They couldn't attach a hand alone. You wouldn't have been able to move it unless they replaced the whole arm," Rude explained.

"Oh…" Kadaj muttered. He flexed his arm a few times and moved it around. After a few minutes, it was as if he'd had it all his life. Then all at once, his dream came flooding back to him.

"Kadaj?" Kali called to him. He leapt off of the couch and went over to their bags. "What are you doing?"

"I need to find something," he replied, pulling out several books from his bag. He looked at the first page of all of them and found what he was looking for in the last book.

"What's that?" Rude asked as he and Kali sat with Kadaj.

"It's our grandfather's old journal. I think… yes, this would be the right time frame…" he muttered. Kadaj flipped through the pages, skimming each one. He finally stopped and read an entire page. The more he read, the wider his eyes grew and the more the book trembled in his hands.

"Kadaj?" Kali whispered gently. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen to this…

What a wonderful day this has been. Sephiroth has been accepted to SOLDIER. Ten years old and a SOLDIER! I knew when we started the Jenova Project that he would be destined for great things. Who knew it would be so soon? But Valentine… He is beginning to enjoy causing trouble. He keeps trying to get Sephiroth alone. He says it's to give him advice for while he's in SOLDIER. Ha. He's trying to tell Sephiroth that I'm his father. I can tell, and Valentine knows it. I only wish I had thought things through before giving him that gauntlet… It's too difficult to remove now even for me. I will have to think on how to deal with this problem…

And better news could not come to me today. Sephiroth's sister arrived early this morning. He, of course, will ne-"

"Whoa! Hold on!" Kali yelled. She stared at him. "Sephiroth's _sister_?"

"Kali, shush, he isn't finished," Rude muttered, but he was just as stunned as she was. Kadaj turned back to the book and kept reading:

"He, of course will never know that she's his sister. This one… yes, I can become quite attached to her. My daughter is not an experiment like my son is. I have no problems caring about her and loving her. But her mother… it seems she does not want me around. I will figure something out. Until then, I can hope only to care for her and our new daughter… If she suspects anything foul, she and my daughter will disappear. And her name… I really haven't thought of one come to think of it. Shimei… yes… her name is Shimei."

"This is great!" Kali yelled suddenly. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Kadaj gasped.

"If she's still alive, she can help us! I'm sure she'd love to help her niece and nephew."

"Kali… She was just born when granddad wrote this," Kadaj said softly. "If he had a written description of her as an adult… Kali, we've seen her before."

"Really?" Kali's eyes seemed to have light bulbs behind them.

"The reason I was looking for this… I had a dream. You and Devin had your little fight, then Zurine came down and killed you the same way father killed Aeris. When she had… she said something about niece and nephew."

"Wha…?" Kali began, but the word was barely out of her mouth when realization hit and Rude voiced what she had just thought.

"Zurine took over Shimei's body. Zurine took over your aunt."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"You're sure it's the same woman?" Yuffie asked when Kadaj and Kali explained. At a nod from Rude she trembled. "But why doesn't she fight back against Zurine?"

"It seems Zurine pushed Shimei's soul out of her body. If she's still there… she's probably too weak," Kali whispered. "We need to get to her as quickly as possible."

"Right. Cid, what was it you wanted to show us?" Kadaj asked. "We need to get to the Temple before Zurine."

"Well then," Cid smiled, "we have all of our supplies. Let's get out back."

The group followed him to the backyard, each of them carrying bags filled with food and their own belongings. Cid led them to the large object Kali had seen earlier. It seemed to be made of the same metal as Kadaj's arm. The body of it was in the shape of a torpedo, except the top was flat starting where the curved end stopped. On the sides were what looked like large fins. As she walked around, she saw that there were propellers on the tips. There was also what appeared to be a large rudder on the back of the machine and on the bottom was a large metal box. On the sides close to the top and the ends were what appeared to be wheels stuck to the outside.

"Beautiful isn't she?" Cid beamed.

"What IS it?" Reno asked. Kali came back around to the front and saw painted in silver the word _Sarasanila_.

"It's my new airship, the _Sarasanila_," he announced proudly. "It can go both underwater and in the sky. Fastest airship there is. Been working on it since Cloud bought the _Sierra_ from me. Finished it just after Shera died- er… disappeared. Come on aboard."

The small group eagerly followed Cid as he led them up a short ladder into the ship. At the very front was a large cockpit with thick glass windshields and twenty-one seats, one for the pilot and twenty for passengers. They walked through the rest of the ship to their rooms, all twenty of which were close to the cockpit. Cid led them to the back where the engine was (Kali decided that this was the box on the bottom of the ship) and on the way back pointed to the mess hall, infirmary (both on the right hall), storage, and weapons (these were on the left side). Cid finally brought them back to the cockpit and ordered that they sit down.

"Buckle up everyone," he called, taking a hold of the steering joysticks. "This is going to be a bit bumpy, I've only piloted it once before."

Kali and Kadaj gave each other nervous glances as the engines roared to life and they felt the ship trembling. Kali gripped the arms of her chair and focused her attention on the windshield.

"Oh…" Yuffie groaned, laying a hand on her stomach, "I hate flying…" Kali was slightly amused as Yuffie laid a hand on her mouth and closed her eyes tightly.

Kali watched as the house slowly faded from view as the ship rose into the air. Soon, the entire town fell away and she only saw the grassy plains they had stayed in the previous night, then eventually she saw only the sea, and finally it was nothing but the ever-cloudy sky. Before she could take in the beauty of it, Kali felt herself push back against her seat as Cid propelled the ship forward. After a few minutes, she became used to the speed and was relieved when Cid called back to them.

"Speed's nice and steady, you can get up and walk around if you want. You can go up to the deck too, it's encased in glass. I won't take the dome out until you're used to it," he explained. "Only stairwell in the ship leads up there. It's the one by the engines. We'll be in Wutai by sundown."

Kali leapt out of her seat, ready to go, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for Yuffie, who was sitting tight against her chair with her hands gripping the arms so tightly, her knuckles were white. Her pale green skin and scared, bulging eyes didn't make her look much better. And, standing over the ninja, Kali could have sworn that her hair roots were now grey.

"Kali, let's head up to the deck," Kadaj called to her. As Kali followed, she struggled to resist smiling as Reno tried to coax Yuffie to get up.

"An airship… your surprise had to be a fucking airship, didn't it you smart ass bastard?"

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali and Kadaj stood out on the deck, shortly followed by Pradipa, Rude, and Reno, who explained that Yuffie was currently getting sick and Shizuka was calming her down.

"Look at it…" Kali whispered as they sped over the ocean. She pressed her face to the glass and watched the waves below. Looking at the sides, Kali saw that the 'fins' had folded against the sides and the propellers were helping move it forward. Near the top, Kali discovered what the 'wheels' were for. They were more propellers, now extended from the ship and on metal rods that adjusted to help change direction and speed. She heard the engines roaring behind her, and decided that there couldn't be a better ship.

All too soon, Kali saw a mountain looming towards them, and all too soon they were flying over it. She watched the sun setting before her and looked up at a light sigh next to her. Rude glanced down and smiled.

"First ride on an airship?"

"First one I enjoyed," she smiled back, her thoughts turning to her ride with the Anjin Tarepi-s. "Rude, don't forget your promise."

"I won't. I'll tell you before bed. Okay?" he whispered. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and they looked over the mountains at the sunset. Before the sun had disappeared completely, and definitely before Kali was ready, Cid touched the _Sarasanila_ down just outside of Wutai.

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** I'm sorry! I've been unmotivated all summer, and was brain dead on this chapter. I'm so sorry! Anyway… who here thought Yuffie was a Cetra? Anyone? Well I know at least 2 people that know. And Pradipa may not seem to have a large part, but he will. Trust me. And yes, the body Zurine took over IS Sephiroth's half-sister. Replies:

**SAYAHIEI:** But it's off now! No more cast or pain!

**MEDICINER:** Yes, he's an anthro. His part to play will become apparent soon. And no, I'm not changing it. And hopefully after the next 3-5 chapters, it will revolve around Cid.

**RYU THE YOUKAI:** YAY! Cloud death! ((does a jig))

**VAMPYREVINNIE:** I am SO sorry to hear about your accident. I hope everything is going well and you're back on your feet (if not already then soon!), and I hope you got my email that I sent after receiving your review. And I'm sorry to say this, but yes they will burn down the reactor and kill Cloud. But it will be later, so he'll be around a while. Again, best wishes and I hope you have a speedy recovery. ((hug))

**ANGELVANESSA:** Ok… I understand all of these 'bugs' you have. Allow me to explain. First off is Kali. Yes, she does have a little bit of a whiney attitude. But she is 15, and I unfortunately know some kids who are whiney. Plus she's on a new world, and therefore a bit scared and confused. Also, this IS supposed to be somewhat Mary-Sue-ish, as Sephiroth did fall in love after his 'good soul' returned to his body (as was explained in the chapter 'Lifestream'). And I personally don't believe that a story should be judged as 'Mary-Sue' unless it's the character from the game, movie, etc, not by any OCs. But, that is my opinion. Second, I'm trying to give this an anime-ish feel as best I can, as I would like to turn it into a comic or flash cartoon someday (none of it for profit of course, just for fun) and I tend to picture the scenes as anime scenes. Now, in anime club, we learned some Japanese that included vocab for intros. One thing the kid teaching us explained was that in many animes/mangas (and in Japan itself, I believe), characters that enter into schools as new students or whatever often tell quite a bit about themselves, pretty much their life story. Plus, I'm too lazy to find another way to put the pasts in elsewhere. That's my own fault. As for them talking to Cloud Strife last chapter, that was the REAL Cloud, not a clone. The REAL Cloud wants to see the world protected, even if the daughter of his greatest enemy must do it. So long as they are saving the Planet and not hurting it in anyway, he's on their side. As for Devin raping Kali, I believe I explained in the fic why. Devin's weakness is that he fears death so much, that he would rather lose his lover than die. Zurine uses that to her advantage, and so she threatens to kill him if he doesn't do what she wants. She also tricked him into trying to kill her in case she was pregnant so she wouldn't have to go through pain of childbirth. However, he couldn't resist having her one last time, so on his last chance to save his own life he raped her. Had she been more awake and alert and unharmed, he still would have had sex with her, but not rape. Anyway, I hope that clears some things up. If not, I appreciate that you did not flame the story, that you explained what you disliked in a civil manner, and are still enjoying this despite your 'bugs.'

**NM:** I'll update sooner this time (I've had the next chapter planned for quite a while), and thanks for being patient!

REVIEW!

Signed,  
Master of the Physical and Mystical,

NINJA MAGE


	35. The Leviathan Festival

****

Chapter 35

The Leviathan Festival

Yuffie suddenly had a strong urge to run screaming in the other direction. She swallowed hard as she stepped slowly into the town, leading the others. They all looked up and gasped as they heard an explosion above, but they saw that it was only fireworks.

"This is the Leviathan Festival… I was afraid of this…" Yuffie muttered. Kali looked up curiously.

"Leviathan Festival?"

"Yes," Yuffie sighed, walking through the crowded streets. "Our most important god is Leviathan. We hold a festival in his honor every year. Fireworks, dancing, feasts… this looks like the last day. It usually lasts for three."

"You okay?" Reno asked Yuffie as they walked towards the other side of town.

"What will he say?" she muttered to him. "What will daddy say when he sees you and I together? When he finds out I'm a vampire?"

"Everything will be fine Yuffie. I promise," he whispered reassuringly, holding her hand gently. She sighed and led the group to the house near the pagoda. Kali's heart sank. They were going to see Yuffie's father.

"Daddy?" she called as they walked in. _Please be at the festival, please be at the festival, please be at the festival_, she thought. A voice made her heart leap into her throat.

"Who is it?" he called. Kali watched as Godo came out, not unlike when Vincent had brought her here. Godo did a double take and stared at his daughter.

"Hi daddy," Yuffie said quietly after an awkward silence. Godo smiled as he looked from her to Reno.

"So… it's finally happened. You've come to your senses. Good girl!"

"No Godo sir," Reno interjected. "We came here to… er…"

"I'm coming back to look after Yuffie's house while they do something that should have been finished long ago," Rude explained. Yuffie sighed. Better that he explain than her…

"No. Yuffie stays here."

"What?" she gasped.

"When you went off to save the Planet twenty years ago, I was scared out of my mind. You are my daughter. I'm not going to watch you get yourself killed!"

"Daddy, I'm thirty-five years old, I can take care of myself!"

"I'm not watching you get killed!"

"Daddy, look at my neck!" she nearly screamed. She walked up to him in three steps and pulled the collar of her shirt down, revealing two perfectly round bite marks, still scarring. "Vincent Valentine came back a couple of months ago and bit me! I'm a vampire now! I can't die as easily as you seem to think!"

Kali felt herself shrink into the shadows a little. The tension that followed Yuffie's outburst was weighing heavily in the air, noticed by everyone except Yuffie and Godo. Kadaj even seemed to shrink with her.

"That bastard!" Godo suddenly yelled. Everyone jumped at his outburst. "How could that son of a bitch bite you? You said you love him and seem to think he loved you back! He isn't even here with you now! Yuffie, how could you be so stupid to trust a cowardly vamp-"

"Shut up!" she screeched, eyes filling with tears. "Just shut up dad!"

"Do not talk to m-"

"I'm not finished! How dare you call him a coward! He was brave! Do you know why he isn't here? It's because he died to protect us! He died saving our lives so we can keep _her_ alive!" she yelled pointing to Kali, who shrunk farther at the attention placed on her. "That is the daughter of Sephiroth! She's the one who will keep the world from being destroyed by both Meteor and Holy! If Vincent hadn't died, we'd all have died weeks ago!"

The silence following the speech was so deafening, Kali found herself wishing that Yuffie were still yelling. All eyes were now turned to her, a few pairs glancing back at Yuffie and Godo for a moment before turning back. And all at once, the silence was so deafening, her head began feeling pressure against it and she barely heard when Godo said his reply to Yuffie, though his voice was loud and hard to block out. She laid her fingertips against her temples as she listened, feeling like she was underwater.

"Look, I'm sure in the long run, we'll all be proud of you. But must you have so many people? Surely you and Reno can settle down, doesn't she have a large enough- what's wrong with the kid?"

Kali had just dropped to her knees, hands covering her eyes, unconscious.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Kali come on! We have to get going!" Kadaj yelled. Kali hurriedly packed her bag and ran after him. The rest were already far ahead, and from the sounds of it they had already engaged in combat with the dragon.

"About time!" Yuffie called. She threw her shuriken hard at the monster before her, pure white and almost as large as the Sarasanila_. Kali watched the shuriken cut across his wings and Cid's spear slice into the beast's chest. _

"Kali!" Pradipa yelled, his knife in hand and cutting across the dragon's skull. "Contain him now!"

"Right!" she called back. She reached down her shirt and pulled out a necklace, a dull crystal pendant hanging on it. Without further ado, she ran up to where Cid was attacking the chest. "Cid, try to pry up the scales over his heart!"

"Okay! You remember the incantation?" he called over the roars as he attacked the scales over his heart.

"Don't worry, just get those scales up!"

"Okay, okay," he groaned.

A moment later, he had the scales pried up and off the dragon, but screamed as a blast of flame shot at him and Kali, the large front claws wrapping around the girl while the fire burned her arm. Everyone around her yelled as the dragon took off into the skies, the crystal clutched tightly in Kali's hand, her coat hanging from her right arm as her left blistered.

Clutching the crystal and not forgetting what she had to do, she dug it deep into his heart and said the words, voice barely a whisper. The instant the crystal pierced the dragon's heart, it released a pain filled scream. Kali closed her eyes to slits and watched the beast shimmer and become sucked into the crystal, the jewel now shining brightly. The beasts grip loosened and Kali felt herself falling, a glance down showing her nothing but white ground and pine trees, her burned arm stinging horribly as the air rushed past. She closed her eyes, the whiteness turning to utter darkness.

Sarasanila

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Hmm…?" Kali moaned. Her hand patted the surface underneath her. It was soft and comfortable, and her hand going a few inches further away told her she was on a mat on the floor. Lying on her side, she opened her eyes and found her head resting on a cushion. A quick glance at her surroundings told her where she was: This was the very house in which Vincent had introduced her to Reno and Rude. Sure enough, Rude walked in a moment later carrying some clothes. Kali blinked to clear her eyes while she rubbed the arm that had been burned in her dream. Rude was out of his normal suit-and-tie, wearing dark blue robes in their place. Kali couldn't help noticing that he hadn't even bothered to slip on his sunglasses. He put the clothes next to her and smiled.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine…" she whispered, still rubbing her arm. The dragon she had dreamt about was the same one that had attacked them in Cosmo Canyon. She had dug a crystal into its heart and it vanished. She had said something, some sort of spell. What did it all mean…?

"… join us for- Kali, are you listening?"

"Huh?" she looked up at him and locked eyes for a second, guilt in hers that came from her not paying attention. She pulled back a little when Rude placed a hand on her forehead.

"You're sure you're okay? You feel a little warm. Maybe you should just rest here."

"No, really I'm fine," Kali said hurriedly. "What was it you said?"

"I said when you're ready, put your kimono on and join us for the last part of the celebration," he repeated, pointing to the clothes he'd brought her. "If you need help Yuffie's in the next room. She'll help you," he instructed. Kali stopped him when he turned to leave.

"Where am I sleeping tonight? I want to put my clothes there."

"You're sleeping right there tonight. There's only one bedroom. I'm sure Yuffie will want that."

"One bedroom? And you and Reno lived here together?" Kali asked accusingly yet teasingly. Rude couldn't help grinning.

"We had two beds, smart-ass. Now get your kimono on and get out there." And with that he was gone. Kali sighed and smiled at her joke, but as she picked up her kimono, she winced in pain. Looking down at her left arm, there was a nice, shiny burn across her lower arm, a small section of it starting to blister.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"About time," Kadaj called a few minutes later. Kali walked out of Yuffie's house shakily, still growing used to the wooden sandals on her feet. She couldn't help blushing furiously as they all turned to stare at her hair done in a bun (Yuffie had insisted) and the flowing grey kimono around her. Yuffie walked past a moment later in a medium green kimono.

"Well, we might as well go join the celebrations. Come on then," she muttered. Yuffie wiped a few stray tears from her eyes as they walked towards the center of town.

"Kadaj, what happened? She wouldn't tell me anything in there," Kali hissed. Her brother lowered his eyes.

"Just after you passed out Godo banished her from the city. He's letting us stay the night, but we have to leave in the morning," he explained quietly. Kali's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"But… she's his daughter!"

"I know… but that's how it is I guess…"

"So what about Rude?" she inquired, glancing at her friend's back ahead of them. "Is he still staying?"

"Yeah, Godo said he can stay since he's really done nothing wrong," Kadaj said a little bitterly. Kali felt a small flame of anger rise in her. Yuffie hadn't done anything wrong either. She had fallen in love. Was that such a mistake?

_"?reb mem eR .eka tsi mas iev oL .ilaK seY"_ Nanashi whispered to her. Kali lowered her eyes.

_Let me guess… you're thinking of Devin and me, right?_ she thought. Nanashi chuckled.

_"?ev olru oyn rute rehd diwo h'dnA .h'cu mosmi h'de volu oY ?esl eohW"_

_Just shut up Nanashi,_ she thought angrily. She stopped in the middle of the street, the others walking right past. She just closed her eyes and let a few tears drip down her face, her memories of him raping her starting to come back full force. A moment later, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her tear-stained face turned upwards to look into Rude's.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"Yeah. I was just thinking is all. It really hurts, you know?" she added softly, eyes filling with tears again. Rude nodded. He didn't need her to say anything. He knew what she was talking about.

"He should never have done that. If he truly loved you and was your friend, he wouldn't have done that to you."

"But it still hurts…" Kali muttered. Her eyes went wide as Rude wrapped her into a hug. Slowly, Kali returned it and leaned against him.

"I know it does. It won't ever stop hurting either. But I'm here. Kadaj is here. All of us are here for you if you need us," he whispered into her ear. Kali nodded weakly and wiped away her tears. "Kali, would you like to stay at the house? I'll go with you and we can skip the party if you don't think you can sit through it."

"No… no I want to go. I might not get another chance."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't know how this battle will end. We don't know if Kadaj's dream will come true, tomorrow I could fight Devin and die. I might live until I face Zurine then she'll kill me. I just don't know."

"Don't talk like that. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you from now on."

"How?" she whispered, a little bit of anger in her voice. "You're staying here, the rest of us leave tomorrow. How can you protect me if you're not with me?"

"Kali…" he began, but Kali already strode past him to join the others now gathered around a large bonfire. Rude sighed heavily and joined them a moment later.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"That was so much fun!" Kali exclaimed as they walked back to the house a few hours later. In a considerably better mood than when they had started celebrating, Kali was struggling to keep from running up the path ahead of the others, who had eaten so much they were walking rather sluggishly.

"Tell me about it. I haven't eaten so much in years," Kadaj groaned, rubbing his stomach. "I swear if I hadn't loosened my obi I would've ripped this thing." Indeed, Kali swore his stomach was considerably larger.

"Maybe we should spend the night training and work off all this food," Cid chuckled, earning a laugh from everyone else except Shizuka, who hadn't understood a word.

"No thanks Cid. My legs are too sore," Kali replied when she stopped laughing. "Besides I think all that dancing burned off the food I ate. I'm still hungry."

"Well, I did manage to sneak a bit for later," Reno grinned, and from his sleeves produced several pieces of sushi, some rice balls, teriyaki, and some other foods Kali had no name for. She greedily took a piece of sushi and ate it in one bite.

"Well, I guess we should turn in. It's late and we have to leave early tomorrow," Yuffie yawned as they reached the steps to her house.

"I'll be in shortly," Rude called when the others went inside.

"Don't stay up too late. You have to say goodbye before we go," Reno said. Rude just nodded and disappeared behind the door.

"Where will we all sleep?" Kadaj muttered.

"I'm taking my old room," Yuffie said immediately. "I'll go bring some mattresses up for the rest of you." She disappeared into her room for a moment and came back with a mat and blanket for each of them.

"I think you forgot one," Kadaj pointed out when he saw that all the mats were taken except one. "What about you, Reno?"

"Well…" he only smiled at Yuffie. Kadaj stared at him a moment before narrowing his eyes and rolling onto his side to sleep.

"Forget I asked."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Sephiroth, time's growing thin. Kadaj and Kali must get to Her soon," Aeris said softly, standing over him.

"I know Aeris, I know…"

"She is going to get the White Materia soon and they need to find the Black again."

"I know. But everybody's sleeping so lightly I can't contact them," he groaned, stretched out on the grass and staring up at the sky.

"Sephiroth, please. Tonight, you have to tell them," she begged as she knelt next to him, brushing hair out of his eyes and rubbing his chest. "Please. Our futures and the futures of the living depend on your children."

"I know Aeris. But how many times must I tell you? They sleep too lightly anymore," he hissed as he sat up. Sephiroth sighed softly and looked into her eyes. "I promise, tonight I'll go tell the heaviest sleeper."

"If you don't, I'm going tomorrow," she replied softly, standing to leave.

"You won't have to. And you aren't just worried about the Planet and us."

"No. I'm not," she whispered after a moment's pause, keeping her gaze away from him.

"Nothing's going to happen to your daughter. Trust me. Kadaj will save her and our grandchild."

"Will he? You didn't see the dream Kali had the other night, did you?" Aeris whispered with tears in her eyes. Sephiroth hugged her gently and kissed her forehead softly.

"Of course I saw it. But it's just a dream She planted in Kali's head. Nothing will happen to them."

"Who do you think Kali will choose to go back?"

"Probably Kadaj and Vincent. Maybe Devin," Sephiroth replied, lowering his eyes.

"You truly think he's going to die?" she asked in amazement. "He's your son, surely he can't be killed easily."

"He's my son… but he isn't nearly as strong as I am. Besides, he's died in the past battles. Who's to say this one will be different?"

"Because this time he has a reason to survive the fight. This time he has child to live for," Aeris whispered. Sephiroth nodded.

"And that is why Sachiko will not die either."

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

Kali stretched and looked around. Pradipa had changed from his brown kimono to his old vest and pants and was now curled into a ball in a nest he fashioned out of his blanket. She grinned; he may not look like a Tonberry anymore, but he still slept like one. He even clutched his dagger in his hand as he slept. Cid was wrapped up in his blanket seemingly asleep, but Kali managed to glimpse a photograph next to him and saw him wipe his face a couple times. From what she could tell, the photo must have been of Shera. Shizuka was sitting up on her bed, watching Kali. Their eyes met and Shizuka smiled a bit, causing a small shiver to go up Kali's spine, as she had never seen the ninja do so.

"You are a good dancer, Kali," Shizuka whispered to her slowly, pausing after each word to make sure she said it correctly. Kali smiled back and nodded.

"Thank you. So are you," she said just as slowly, but Shizuka only furrowed her brow and smiled, shrugging a bit embarrassedly. Kali smiled and pointed at Shizuka, repeated the word 'dancer,' gave her a thumbs-up, and put up two fingers. Shizuka smiled and shook her head.

"No. You are better," she whispered slowly, but she was blushing. "Goodnight, Kali."

"Goodnight, Shizuka," Kali muttered back as the woman rolled onto her other side and was soon asleep. Kali felt a hand on her arm and turned.

"You should be asleep. We leave early in the morning," Kadaj hissed, pulling her back onto her bed.

"I can sleep on _The Sarasanila_. Where's Rude?" she asked. His bed was still empty.

"I don't know. Probably still outside. Now go to sleep," he grunted. He rolled back over and closed his eyes.

Instead of doing the same, Kali stood and tiptoed out of the room. She stepped out the front door into the cool night air and slipped on her sandals. She didn't have to look long for Rude; she found him sitting and seeming to meditate on a bench just outside the house. She smiled and laid her hand on his shoulder from behind, making him jump and turn around quickly.

"Oh, it's just you. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Ever been right on the edge of sleep and then jerk back awake for no reason?" she smiled, sitting next to him. He smiled a little at her.

"Yeah I know what you mean," he muttered. Kali glanced up at the sky as another explosion broke the silence. Green fireworks covered the sky, followed by red and violet.

"We rarely had fireworks back home. It was said that they polluted the air. They're so beautiful."

"Yeah. Sort of like you," Rude said softly. Kali's stomach gave a jerk and she felt her face grow warm. She shifted her position a few inches to the side for fear of him feeling the warmth of her blushing. A shiver went up her spine when he brushed her now loose hair out of her eyes.

"Rude what are you talking about?" she asked, hoping he'd take the hint and stop.

"You said in Cosmo Canyon that I've been acting oddly. And I told you I'd explain when we arrive here."

"Well why have you-" she began, but he put his fingers to her mouth and turned her head to face him. Kali was rooted there at the sight of his face. His eyes were the softest she'd ever seen them and he had turned a little red.

"Kali, I… I think you're a very pretty young woman. And I… I love you," he said, his voice barely audible.

Kali's eyes went wide as he leaned close and kissed her. Her body went rigid as he held her arm gently but firmly. And a moment later, her eyes were closed and her own hands were on his arms, and she was slowly kissing him back. Rude pulled her closer and they sat for… seconds? Minutes…? Hours…? Neither of them knew how long it was, but they didn't care. Kali slowly blocked out everything except her friend, and at the same time he only thought of her. And as suddenly as he had pressed his lips to hers, Rude pulled away and was standing. Kali stared at him a moment, elbow propping her up against the seat of the bench, then felt a mild breeze. Her kimono was pulled open a little and her obi was loose, but she hardly noticed. All of her attention was on the face of her friend. Across his face she saw… fear? Shame?

"Rude? What's wrong?" Kali said softly.

"Goodnight Kal." was his only reply. He walked up to the door, opened it, and the next moment was gone. Kali stretched out on the bench and watched the fireworks for a few more minutes, fingertips on her lips and thinking of Rude.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Damn it… What did I do that for…?" Rude hissed at himself. He wiped the spit from his lips and rubbed his head agitatedly.

"What did you do?"

"Huh?" he jumped and looked up to see Kadaj yawning in the doorway.

"Let me guess. You kissed my sister."

"Perhaps…" Rude replied softly, but he felt his face redden as a dead giveaway.

"You better treat her better than that Devin did," Kadaj warned. Rude nodded.

"You know I would."

Kadaj only nodded, yawned, and went back to lie down. Rude followed a moment later and wrapped up on his bed to sleep. He didn't move when he heard Kali come in after a few minutes.

"Finally ready to come to bed?" Kadaj whispered.

"Yeah. I guess," she yawned. She pulled her bed a little closer to Rude and curled up, falling asleep almost immediately. Kadaj smiled at her and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, Kadaj heard fabric moving against the floor. Another smile crossed his face as Rude pulled Kali's bed against his own and pulled her close to him, his arm wrapped tightly around her middle.

NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

"Mm…" Yuffie moaned in her sleep. A moment later she opened her eyes and stretched. "Reno? Reno wake up."

"Mm," he grunted. Yuffie rolled onto her side and poked the middle of his chest.

"Reno, wake up!" she hissed. He still refused to move, so she kissed him softly and didn't pull away until his arms wrapped around her.

"You want more huh?" Reno said softly.

"No. I want to tell you something."

"You aren't pregnant are you?" he joked.

"Vincent couldn't get anyone pregnant and there's no way I'd be pregnant by you and know about it."

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, holding her close. Yuffie sat up and wrapped a blanket around her. Reno pulled the blanket over his middle and sat up with her, an arm around her waist. She looked at him with a mix of fear and amazement in her eyes.

"It's about Zurine and Sachiko… the Black Materia is missing… it was lost somewhere in Ath Midgar… someone found it and took it away… none of the souls know where to… and Sachiko has the White Materia but Zurine's going to go after her…"

"When? When will Zurine reach Sachiko?" Reno pressed. Yuffie looked into his eyes and spoke breathlessly.

"She'll attack the Hitomi and Sachiko tomorrow night."

**NINJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNININJAMAGEGAMAJNIN**

**NM:** I'm not dead yet…! Sorry for the delay in an update. I've had no motivation over the summer, despite the fact I've had this part in mind for quite some time. Plus… I now have a boyfriend. So I've been talking to him a lot and have been neglecting my duties towards fanfics. I'm still in the process of the review pictures… I have 2 finished but I'm stuck on 1; it looks horrible and I'm still too new to Photoshop to try and redraw it in there. And please visit my page at DeviantArt, there are some decent pics of the characters here along with a few non-fanfic related works of art. Reviews:

**RYU THE YOUKAI:** LMFAO! I agree, Hojo is such an ass. I hope he's burning in Hell now.

**LT. HAWKEYE:** Well it wasn't soon… but I did update. And if last chapter was interesting, this one should have been more so.

**MEDICINER:** Just talking to you got me thinking of dream sequences. Thank you much ma'am! As for Pradipa's new form, I have a couple really poor sketches of him (not good at anthros) but I'll clean them up and post them. Eventually. Um… someday…?

**VAMPYREVINNIE:** ((hug)) I hope you're all better now. But… why did the doctor ask if it hurt if he wasn't going to stop?

**NM:** Well, school starts Tuesday, but hopefully my inspiration and motivation will come back. More time for daydreaming and since my BF gets home after I do I'll have time to write. We've been RPing a bit too much which is partly why updates have been slow ((sweat drop))

**Signed,  
Master of the Physical and Mystical,**

**NINJA MAGE**


End file.
